^, . . 


/^ .  >•• 


The  Pagan's 
Cup 


Fergus    Hume 

AUTHOR   OF 

'THE  MYSTERY   OF  A   HANSOM   CAB,"   "THE 

RAINBOW   FEATHER,"    "CLAUDE 

DUVAL  OF  NINETY-FIVE," 

ETC. 


NEW  YORK 
G.  W.  DILLINGHAM    COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1902,  by 

G.  W.  Dillingham  Company 

lAll  rights  reserved] 


The  Paga7i's  Cup 


DC.  i 


CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 


A  Modern  Arcadia 

The  Crusaders'  Chapel 

The  Lady  of  the  Manor 

The  Dinner-Party 

Love's  Young  Dream   . 

Trouble 

A  Nine  Days'  Wonder 

Haverleigh's  Defence     . 

A  Bad  Reputation 

The  Price  of  Silence     . 

The  London  Detective 

A  Surprise     . 

An  Interesting  Document 

An  Unexpected   Meeting 

A  New  Complication 

Sybil's  Visitor 

Lord  Kilspindie  Explains 

A  Miracle 

A  Story  of  the  Past 

Mrs  Gabriel's  Secret 


2136010 


THE  PAGAN'S  CUP 

CHAPTER   I 

A     MODERN      ARCADIA 

Certain  portions  of  England  yet  remain  undis- 
covered by  Americans  and  uncivilised  by  railways. 
Colester  village  above  King's-meadows,  in  a  county 
which  need  not  be  named,  is  one  of  these  unkno\vn 
spots.  No  doubt  before  long  the  bicycle  and  the 
motor-car  will  enliven  its  somnolent  neighbourhood, 
but  at  present  it  is  free  from  the  summer  jaunts  of 
tourists.  With  this  neglect  the  Colester  folk  pro- 
fess themselves  satisfied.  They  have  no  wish  to  come 
into  contact  with  the  busy  world.  This  prejudice 
against  intrusion  dates  from  mediaeval  times,  when 
strangers  rarely  came  to  the  village  with  peaceful 
intentions.  Even  now  a  chance  comer  is  looked  upon 
with  suspicion. 

Mr  Richard  Pratt  said  something  of  this  sort  to  the 
vicar  during  a  morning  ramble,  some  six  weeks  after 
he  had  taken  up  his  residence  in  The  Nun's  House. 
With  the  parson  and  the  gentry  of  the  parish  Air 
Pratt  agreed  very  well,  his  respectability  having  been 
vouched  for  by  IMrs  Gabriel,  the  lady  of  the  manor. 
But  the  villagers  still  held  aloof,  although  the  new- 


2  The  Pagan's  Cup 

comer  did  his  best  to  overcome  their  churiish  doubts. 
They  did  not  credit  his  story  that  he  had  settled  in 
Colester  to  pass  his  remaining  years  in  peace,  and  even 
the  money  he  scattered  so  freely  could  not  buy  their 
loyalty.  Pratt  had  never  met  with  such  people  before. 
In  most  countries  an  open  purse  invites  an  open  heart ; 
but  the  Colester  villagers  were  above  Mammon  wor- 
ship. Such  an  experience  was  refreshing  to  Pratt,  and 
introduced  him  to  a  new  type  of  humanity. 

"  The  first  place  I  ever  struck  in  which  the  dollar 
is  not  all-powerful,"  he  said,  with  his  Yankee  twang 
and  pleasant  laugh. 

"  We  are  not  sufficiently  educated  in  that  respect," 
replied  Mr  Tempest  in  his  simple  way.  "  For  my 
part,  I  am  not  ill  pleased  that  my  parishioners  should 
refuse  to  worship  the  Golden  Calf." 

"  There  is  no  calf  about  me,  I  guess,"  said  Pratt, 
grimly,  "  and  very  little  gold.  I  don't  say  I  haven't 
a  decent  income,  but  as  to  being  a  millionaire — no,  sir." 

"In  the  kingdom,  of  the  blind  the  one-eyed  is  king, 
Mr  Pratt.  You  are  a  millionaire  in  this  poor  place. 
But  I  fear  you  find  it  dull." 

"  Why,  no,  vicar.  I'm  glad  to  be  out  of  the  buzz. 
The  world's  made  up  of  nerves  and  machinery  now- 
adays. At  fifty-two  years  of  age  I  can't  stand  the 
racket.  This  Sleepy  Hollow's  good  enough  for  me  to 
stay  in  until  I  peg  out.  Guess  I'll  buy  an  allotment 
in  that  graveyard  of  yours." 

"  Hollow !  "  said  the  vicar,  smiling,  "  and  our 
earthly  dwelling-place  is  set  upon  a  hill !  Air  Pratt, 
I  suspect  you  have  Irish  blood  in  your  veins." 


A  Modern  Arcadia  3 

Pratt  laughed,  and  being  to  a  large  extent  devoid 
of  humour,  explained  earnestly  that  he  had  used  the 
word  figuratively.  "  Washington  Irving,  Rip  Van 
Winkle,"  he  explained,  nodding,  whereat  the  vicar 
smiled  again. 

The  situation  of  Colester  was  striking  and  strange. 
A  green-clothed  promontory  extended  abruptly  from 
the  high  table-land  into  King's-meadow.  To  right 
and  left  chalky  cliffs  of  considerable  height  flared  away 
for  miles,  forming  a  buttress  to  the  moors  above  and 
walls  to  the  plains  below.  In  pre-historic  ages  the 
ocean  waves  had  beaten  against  these  cliffs,  but, 
gradually  receding,  had  left  dry  the  miles  upon  miles 
of  fertile  lands  now  called  King's-meadows.  An 
appanage  of  the  Crown,  they  had  been  called  so  from 
the  days  of  William  the  Conqueror. 

From  where  they  stood,  the  vicar  and  his  friend  had 
a  bird's-eye  view  of  this  desirable  land,  unrolled  like 
a  map  under  the  bright  June  sky.  League  after 
league  of  corn-fields  stretched  away  to  the  clear,  shin- 
ing line  of  ocean ;  and  amidst  the  ripening  grain  ap- 
peared red-roofed  villages,  clumps  of  trees,  the  straight 
lines  of  dusty  white  roads  and  the  winding,  glittering 
serpent  of  the  river.  And  as  a  background  to  this 
smiling  plenty — if  so  Irish  an  expression  be  permitted 
— was  the  blue  expanse  of  the  Channel  dotted  with 
the  white  sails  of  merchantmen. 

A  small  wood  of  ancient  oaks  shut  off  the  purple- 
clad  mioor  from  the  spur  upon  which  Colester  was 
built.  On  the  verge  of  this,  yet  encircled  by  trees, 
stood  the  village  church — a  crusading  chapel,  dedi- 


4  The  Pagan's  Cup 

cated  to  St  Gabriel  the  Messenger.  Thence  the 
ground  fell  away  gradually,  and  spread  out  into  a 
broad  neck  of  land,  down  the  centre  of  which  ran  a 
road  leading  from  chapel  to  village.  On  either  side 
of  this,  amidst  oaks  and  elms  and  sycamores,  were  the 
houses  of  the  gentry.  From  where  they  ended  the 
promontory  rose  into  two  rounded  hills,  with  a  slight 
depression  between.  On  the  one  to  the  left  the  village 
was  built,  its  houses  cramped  within  a  tumble-down 
wall,  dating  from  the  days  when  it  was  needed  as  a 
defence.  The  other  hill  was  surmounted  by  a  well- 
preserved  castle,  the  keep  of  which  with  its  flag  could 
be  seen  above  the  oak  woods.  This  was  inhabited  by 
Mrs  Gabriel,  the  sole  represemtative  of  the  feudal 
lords  of  Colester.  Yet  she  was  only  the  childless 
widow  of  the  last  baron,  and  had  none  of  the  fierce 
Gabriel  blood  in  her  viens.  The  once  powerful  and 
prolific  family  was  extinct. 

From  castle  and  village  steps  led  down  into  the  de- 
pression between  the  two  hills.  Down  this  continued 
the  chapel  road,  sloping  gradually  with  many  wind- 
ings to  the  plains  below.  The  whole  place  had  the 
look  of  some  Rhenish  robber-hold.  And  if  tradition 
was  to  be  trusted,  the  Gabriel  lords  had  dwelt  like 
eagles  in  their  eyrie,  swooping  down  at  intervals  to 
harry  and  plunder,  burn  and  slay  the  peaceful  folk 
of  the  plains.  A  turbulent  and  aggressive  race  the 
Gabriels.  It  had  defied  king  and  priest,  and  parliament 
and  people.    Time  alone  had  ever  conquered  it. 

"  A  survival  of  the  Middle  Ages,"  said  Mr  Tem- 
pest, pointing  out  these  things  to  his  companion.     "  It 


A  Modern  Arcadia  5 

was  needful  that  the  Gabriel  barons  should  build 
strong  defences.  They  were  fierce  and  blood-thirsty, 
defiant  of  law  and  order.  For  many  centuries  they 
were  a  scourge  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  plains.  These 
often  complained  to  the  king,  and  several  times  the 
place  was  besieged,  but  without  result.  The  Gabriels 
kept  their  hold  of  it.  The  only  thing  they  ever  lost 
was  their  title.  A  bill  of  attainder  was  passed  against 
them  in  the  time  of  the  second  George.  After  that 
they  became  less  lions  than  foxes." 

"  Just  so,"  said  Mr  Pratt.  "  This  place  couldn't  do 
much  against  artiller}',  I  guess.  And  even  in  the  bow 
and  arrow  days,  a  strong  force  coming  over  the  moor 
and  down  the  spur — " 

"  That  was  often  tried,"  interrupted  Tempest, 
quickly,  "  but  the  attempt  always  failed.  In  the  days 
of  Henry  II.  Aylmer  Gabriel  beat  back  an  over- 
whelming force,  and  then  erected  the  chapel  as  a 
thanksgiving.  The  Archangel  Gabriel  was  the  patron 
saint  of  the  family,  and  the  chapel  is  dedicated  to 
him." 

"  He  couldn't  keep  the  family  from  dying  out,  how- 
ever," said  Pratt,  as  they  moved  towards  the  village. 

"  No.  With  the  late  John  Gabriel  the  family  became 
extinct.  But  I  daresay  Mrs  Gabriel  will  arange  that 
her  adopted  son  succeeds.  Pie  can  take  the  name  and 
the  coat  of  arms.  I  should  be  very  pleased  to  see 
that,"  added  the  vicar,  half  to  himself.  "  Leo  is  a 
good  fellow,  and  would  make  an  excellent  landlord." 

The  eyes  of  the  American  flashed  when  the  name 
was  mentioned,  but  he  made  only  a  careless  comment. 


6  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Leo  Haverleigh,"  he  said,  after  a  pause,  "  he's  a 
right  smart  young  chap,  sure.    Who  is  he?" 

"  The  son  of  Mrs  Gabriel's  brother.  She  was  a 
Miss  Haverleigh,  you  know.  I  believe  her  brother 
was  somewhat  dissipated,  and  died  abroad.  The  boy 
arrived  here  when  he  was  three  years  of  age,  and  Mrs 
Gabriel  adopted  him.     He  will  be  her  heir." 

"Is  there  anyone  to  object?"  asked  Pratt,  eagerly. 

The  vicar  shook  his  head.  "  The  Gabriels  are  abso- 
lutely extinct.  Failing  Leo,  the  estates  would  lapse  to 
the  Crown.  In  the  old  days  they  would  have  been 
seized  by  the  king  in  any  case,  as  the  sovereigns  were 
always  anxious  to  hold  this  point  of  vantage  which 
dominated  their  lands  below.  But  we  live  in  such  law- 
abiding  times,  that  Mrs  Gabriel,  although  not  of  the 
blood  of  the  family,  can  leave  the  estates  to  whomso- 
ever she  will.  I  understand  that  she  has  quite  decided 
Leo  shall  inherit  and  take  the  name;  also  the  coat  of 
arms." 

"  She  doesn't  strike  me  as  over-fond  of  the  boy," 
said  Pratt,  as  they  climbed  the  crooked  street ;  "  rather 
a  hard  woman  I  should  say." 

"  Mrs  Gabriel  has  a  particularly  high  moral 
standard,"  replied  the  vicar,  evasively,  "and  she  wishes 
all  to  attain  to  it.     Leo — "  he  hesitated. 

"  He's  no  worse  than  a  boy  ought  to  be,"  said  the 
American,  cheerily.  "  Your  young  saint  makes  an  old 
sinner.     That's  so,  vicar !  " 

Mr  Tempest  laughed  outright.  "  I  fear  there  is 
small  chance  of  Leo  becoming  a  saint  either  young  or 


A  Modern  Arcadia  7 

old,"  he  said,  "  though  he  is  a  good  lad  in  many  ways. 
Wild,  I  admit,  but  his  heart  is  in  the  right  place." 

Pratt  smiled  to  himself.  He  knew  that  Leo  was  in 
love  with  Sybil,  the  daughter  of  this  prosy  old  ar- 
chaeologist. Simple  as  Mr  Tempest  was,  he  could  not 
be  blind  to  the  possibility  of  his  daughter  making  such 
an  excellent  match.  "  Oh,  yes,"  laughed  Pratt,  know- 
ingly, "  I'm  sure  his  heart  is  in  the  right  place." 

But  by  this  time  the  vicar  was  on  his  hobby  horse, 
and  did  not  gauge  the  significance  of  the  speech. 
"  Here,"  he  said,  waving  his  hand  towards  the  four 
sides  of  the  square  in  which  they  stood,  "  the  Romans 
built  a  camp.  It  crowned  this  hill,  and  was  garrisoned 
by  the  tenth  legion  to  overawe  the  turbulent  tribes 
swarming  on  the  plains  below.  In  fact,  this  town  is 
built  within  the  camp,  as  the  name  shows." 

"  How  does  it  show  that  ?  "  asked  Pratt,  more  to 
keep  the  vicar  talking  than  because  he  cared. 

"  The  name,  man,  the  name.  It  is  properly  Coln- 
cester,  but  b}'  usage  has  been  shortened  to  Colester. 
Coin  comes  from  the  Latin  colonia,  a  colony,  and 
caster,  or  cester,  is  derived  from  castra,  a  camp.  Coln- 
cester  therefore  means  the  camp  colony,  which  proves 
that  the  original  builders  of  this  town  erected  their 
dwellings  within  the  circumvallation  of  the  original 
castra  of  Claudian.  If  you  will  come  with  me,  Mr 
Pratt,  I  will  show  you  the  remains  of  this  great  work." 

"  I  have  seen  it  several  times  before,"  replied  Pratt, 
rather  bored  by  this  archaeological  disquisition.  "  I 
know  every  inch  of  this  place.  It  doesn't  take  an 
'American  centuries  to  get  round,  and  six  weeks  of 


8  The  Pagan's  Cup 

walking  have  fixed  me  up  in  your  local  geography. 
But  there's  the  chapel,  vicar.  We  might  walk  up 
there.  I'd  like  to  hear  a  few  remarks  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  chapel.     Interesting.     Oh,  I  guess  so !  " 

"  Certainly !  certainly !  "  said  Tempest,  absently, 
"  let  us  walk,  walk,"  and  he  strolled  away  with  his 
hands  in  his  tail-coat  pockets,  looking  something  like 
an  elderly  jackdaw.  Indeed  the  churchman,  with  his 
lean,  oval  face,  his  large  spectacles  and  the  fluttering 
black  garments  on  his  thin  figure,  very  much  re- 
sembled a  bird.  He  was  scholarly,  well-bred  and 
gentle,  but  wholly  unworldly.  Since  his  wife  had 
died  seven  years  before,  Sybil  had  taken  charge  of 
the  house.  Harold  Raston,  the  energetic  curate, 
looked  after  the  parish.  But  for  these  two,  both 
clerical  and  domestic  affairs  would  have  been  neg- 
lected, so  immersed  was  Mr  Tempest  in  his  dry-as- 
dust  explorations.  Many  people  said  openly  that  the 
vicar  was  past  his  work  and  should  be  pensioned 
off.  Mrs  Gabriel,  a  capable  and  managing  woman, 
had  once  hinted  as  much  to  him.  But  the  usually 
placid  parson  had  flown  into  such  a  rage,  that  she 
had  hastily  withdrawn  herself  and  her  suggestion. 
"  There  is  nothing  more  terrible  than  the  rebellion  of 
a  sheep."  Mrs  Gabriel  recalled  this  remark  of  Bal- 
zac's when  Tempest,  proving  himself  worthy  of  his 
name,  swept  her  in  wrath  from  his  study. 

Pratt  was  quite  another  specimen  of  humanity.  A 
neat,  dapper,  suave  little  man,  undersized  yet  per- 
fectly proportioned.  He  had  black  hair,  black  eyes, 
and  a  clean-shaven  face,  which  constantly  wore  an  ex- 


A  Modern  Arcadia  9 

pression  of  imperturbable  good-humour.  His  dress 
was  too  neat  for  the  country.  A  blue  serge  suit, 
white  spats  on  brown  boots,  a  Panama  hat,  gloves 
and — what  he  was  never  without — a  smoothy-rolled 
umbrella.  Spick-and-span,  he  might  have  stepped  out 
of  a  glass  case,  and  this  was  his  invariable  appear- 
ance. No  one  ever  saw  Pratt  unshaven  or  untidy.  He 
had  been  everywhere,  had  seen  everything,  and  was  a 
most  engaging  companion,  never  out  of  temper  and 
never  bored.  But  for  all  his  smiling  ways  the  villagers 
held  aloof  from  him.  Wishing  to  break  down  their 
barrier  of  prejudice,  the  sharp  little  American  had  at- 
tached himself  to  the  vicar  during  the  good  man's 
usual  morning  walk.  He  thought  that  such  a  sight 
might  dispose  the  villagers  to  relent. 

"  I  shall  not  vary  my  usual  walk,"  remarked  Mr 
Tempest,  positively.  "  We  will  stroll  through  the 
village,  return  to  the  chapel,  and  then,  jMr  Pratt,  I 
hope  you  will  lunch  with  me." 

"  Delighted,  if  it  will  not  put  Miss  Sybil  out." 

"  No,  no.  My  wife  is  always  prepared  for  chance 
visitors,"  answered  the  vicar,  quite  oblivious  to  the 
fact  that  the  late  Mrs  Tempest  was  resting  in  the 
churchyard.  "  Ha,  this  is  Mrs  Jeal.  How  do  you  do, 
Mrs  Jeal?" 

Mrs  Jeal  was  in  excellent  health,  and  said  so  with 
a  curtsey.  A  dumpy,  rosy-faced  woman  was  Mrs 
Jeal,  with  a  pair  of  extremely  wicked  black  eyes  which 
snapped  fire  when  she  was  angered.  She  had  a  tem- 
per, but  rarely  displayed  it,  for  it  suited  her  better 
to  gain  her  ends  by  craft  rather  than  force.    Fifteen 


lo  The  Pagan's  Cup 

years  ago  she  had  appeared  from  nowhere,  to  settle 
as  a  midwife  in  Colester.  Contrary  to  their  usual 
fashion,  the  villagers  had  taken  her  to  their  bosoms. 
This  was  owing  to  the  clever  way  Mrs  Jeal  had  of 
managing  them,  and  to  her  knowledge  of  herbs.  She 
had  cured  many  sick  people  whom  the  doctor  had  given 
up,  and  consequently  was  not  looked  upon  with  favour 
by  Dr  James,  who  had  succeeded  to  the  family  practice. 
But  even  he  could  not  be  angry  at  rosy,  laughing  Mrs 
Jeal.  "  Though  I  don't  hke  her,"  confessed  Dr  James ; 
"  the  devil  looks  out  of  her  eyes.  Dangerous  woman, 
very  dangerous." 

Pratt  had  no  chance  of  proving  this  remark  of  the 
doctor's  to  be  true,  for  Mrs  Jeal  never  looked  at  him. 
She  kept  her  wicked  eyes  on  the  kindly  vicar  and 
smiled  constantly,  punctuating  such  smiles  with  an  oc- 
casional curtsey.  "  Pearl  is  not  with  you  ?  "  said  Mr 
Tempest. 

"  No,  bless  her  poor  heart !  "  cried  Mrs.  Jeal,  "  she 
is  up  at  the  chapel.  Her  favourite  place  is  the  chapel, 
as  your  reverence  knows." 

"  She  might  have  a  worse  place  to  haunt,  Mrs  Jeal. 
Poor  soul — poor,  mad,  innocent  child !  " 

"  Do  you  call  eighteen  years  of  age  childish,  Mr 
Tempest  ?  "  asked  the  woman. 

"  No,  no !  I  speak  of  her  mind,  her  poor,  weak  mind. 
She  is  still  a  child.  I  beg  of  you  to  look  after  her, 
Mrs  Jeal.  We  must  make  her  path  as  pleasant  as  we 
may." 

"  Then  I  beg  your  reverence  will  tell  that  Barker 
to  leave  her  alone." 


A  Modern  Arcadia  ii 

"  Barker,  Barker  ?  Ah,  yes,  the  sexton — of  course. 
Worth}'  man." 

]\Irs  Jeal  sniffed.  "  He  won't  let  her  stay  in  the 
chapel,"  she  said. 

"  Tut !  tut !  This  must  be  seen  to.  Poor  Pearl  is 
God's  child,  ^Irs  Jeal,  so  she  has  a  right  to  rest  in 
His  House.  Yes,  yes,  I'll  see  to  it.  Good-day,  Mrs 
Jeal." 

The  woman  dropped  a  curtsey,  and  for  the  first 
time  shot  a  glance  at  Pratt,  who  was  smiling  blandly. 
A  nervous  expression  crossed  her  face  as  she  caught 
his  eye.  The  next  moment  she  drew  herself  up  and 
passed  on,  crossing  herself.  Pratt  looked  after  her, 
still  smiling,  then  hurried  to  rejoin  the  vicar,  who  be- 
gan to  explain  in  his  usual  wandering  way. 

"  A  good  woman,  Airs  Jeal,  a  good  woman,"  he  said. 
"  For  some  years  she  has  had  charge  of  Pearl  Darry, 
whom  she  rescued  from  her  cruel  father." 

"  Is  that  the  insane  girl  ?  "  said  Pratt,  idly. 

"  Do  not  talk  of  one  so  afflicted  in  that  way,  Mr 
Pratt.  Pearl  may  not  be  quite  right  in  her  head,  but 
she  is  sane  enough  to  conduct  herself  properly.  If  the 
fact  that  she  is  not  all  herself  reached  Portfront" — 
the  principal  town  of  the  county — '"  it  is  possible  that 
the  authorities  might  wish  to  shut  her  up,  and  that 
would  be  the  death  of  Pearl.  No,  no!  "  said  the  good 
vicar,  "  let  her  have  a  fair  share  of  God's  beautiful 
earth,  and  live  to  a  happy  old  age.  In  this  quiet  place 
we  can  afford  one  natural." 

"  Like  the  village  idiot  we  read  about  in  Scotch 
tales,"  said  Pratt. 


12  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"Just  so,  Mr  Pratt.  In  Waverley  there  is  such  a 
one.  Pearl  Darry  is  quite  harmless,  and  really  has  a 
very  beautiful  nature.  Mrs  Jeal  is  much  to  be  com- 
mended for  her  charity." 

"  She  looks  a  charitable  woman,"  said  the  Ameri- 
can, but  whether  he  meant  this  ironically  or  not  it  is 
hard  to  say. 

The  women  of  Colester  were  mostly  lace-workers, 
and  toiled  at  this  fairylike  craft  while  their  husbands 
worked  in  the  fields  below.  During  three  seasons  the 
mountain  men,  as  they  might  be  called,  ploughed  the 
meadow-land,  sowed  the  corn  and  helped  to  reap  and 
harvest  it.  In  the  winter  they  returned  to  live  on 
their  earnings  and  take  a  holiday.  But  the  women 
worked  all  the  year  through,  and  Colester  lace  was 
famous.  As  the  vicar  and  Pratt  walked  down  the 
street,  at  the  door  of  every  house  sat  a  woman  with 
her  pillow  and  pins  dexterously  making  the  filmy  fabric 
which  was  destined  to  adorn  the  dress  of  many  a 
London  beauty.  They  were  mostly  serious-looking, 
and  some  even  grim.  But  all  had  a  smile  for  the 
vicar,  although  they  pursed  up  their  lips  when  they 
saw  the  good-natured  face  of  Pratt.  Most  unaccount- 
able this  dislike  they  had  for  the  American.  He  was 
rather  annoyed  by  his  pronounced  unpopularity. 

"  I  must  really  do  something  to  make  them  like  me," 
he  said,  much  vexed. 

"  Tut,  tut !  "  replied  the  vicar,  "  liking  will  come  in 
good  time,  Mr  Pratt.  It  takes  some  years  for  them 
to  fancy  a  stranger.     I  was  an  object  of  distrust  to 


A  Modern  Arcadia  13 

them  for  quite  three.  Now  they  are  devoted  to 
me." 

"  And  have  you  been  here  long?  " 

''  About  forty  years,"  said  Tempest.  "  I  have  buried 
many  and  christened  most.  We  have  no  Methodists 
in  Colester,  Mr  Pratt.  Everyone  comes  to  church 
and  worships  according  to  the  rites  of  the  AngUcan 
communion,  as  is  fit  and  proper." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  a  prosperous  community  on  the 
whole?" 

"  So,  so !  Nothing  to  complain  of.  The  lace  made 
here  by  those  clever  fingers  sells  well  in  London  and 
even  abroad.  Then  the  men  earn  a  fair  wage  in 
King's-meadows.  Mrs  Gabriel  looks  after  the  few 
poor  we  have  amongst  us.  On  the  whole,  we  have 
much  to  be  thankful  for,  Mr  Pratt." 

Thus  talking  the  good  vicar  led  his  companion 
round  by  the  mouldering  walls,  where  they  could  look 
down  on  to  the  plains.  After  a  glance  they  re-en- 
tered the  town  and  walked  through  the  cobbled-stoned 
streets,  between  the  quaint,  high-roofed  houses. 
Everywhere  the  vicar  was  greeted  and  Pratt  frowned 
upon.  He  was  quite  glad  when  they  descended  from 
the  village  through  the  old  gate,  and  after  walking 
along  the  neck,  which  was  the  fashionable  part  of 
Colester,  began  to  climb  up  towards  the  chapel. 

"  A  most  delightful  spot,"  said  Pratt,  politely ;  "  but 
I  guess  the  folk  don't  cotton  to  me.  I  must  make 
them  freeze  on  somehow." 


CHAPTER    II 

THE      crusaders'       CHAPEL 

The  church  dedicated  to  St  Gabriel  the  Messenger 
was  enshrined  in  a  leafy  glade.  No  churlish  wall 
marked  the  limits  of  the  sacred  ground,  and  from  the 
ancient  building  a  soft  green  sward  stretched  on  all 
sides  to  the  circle  of  oaks  which  sheltered  it  from 
the  rude  winds.  In  this  circle  were  two  openings 
counter  to  each  other.  The  lower  one  admitted  those 
who  came  from  Colester  into  the  precincts ;  the  upper 
gave  entrance  to  a  larger  glade,  in  which  the  dead  had 
been  buried  for  centuries.  This  also  was  without  a 
wall,  and  it  was  strange  beyond  words  to  come  sud- 
denly upon  an  assemblage  of  tombstones  in  the  heart 
of  a  wood.  From  this  sylvan  God's-acre  a  path 
climbed  upward  to  the  moor,  and  passed  onward  for 
some  little  distance  until  it  was  obliterated  by  the  pur- 
ple heather.  Then  for  leagues  stretched  the  trackless, 
treeless  waste  to  the  foot  of  distant  hills. 

Of  no  great  size,  the  chapel  was  an  architectural 
gem.  Built  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  a  square  tower  rose 
where  the  four  arms  met,  and  this  contained  a  famous 
peal  of  bells.  The  grey  stone  walls  were  carved  with 
strange  and  holy  devices,  lettered  with  sacred  texts 
in  mediaeval  Latin,  and  here  and  there  were  draped  in 


The  Crusaders'  Chapel  15 

darkly-green  ivy.  The  sharp  angles  of  the  building 
had  been  rounded  by  the  weather,  the  stones  were 
mellowed  by  time,  and,  nestling  under  the  great  boughs 
of  the  oaks,  it  had  a  holy,  restful  look.  "  Like  a 
prayer  made  visible,"  said  Mr  Tempest. 

With  his  companion  he  had  paused  at  the  entrance 
to  the  glade,  so  as  to  enjoy  the  beauty  of  the  scene. 
Round  the  chapel  swept  the  swallows,  pigeons  whirled 
aloft  in  the  cloudless  blue  sky;  from  the  leafy  trees 
came  the  cooing  of  doves,  and  the  cawing  of  rooks 
could  be  heard.  All  the  wild  life  of  the  wood  haunted 
the  chapel,  and  the  place  was  musical  with  forest  min- 
strelsy. As  the  beauty  of  scene  and  sound  crept  into 
their  hearts,  the  vicar  quoted  Spenser's  lovely  lines : — 

"  A  little  lowly  hermitage  it  was, 
Downe  in  a  dale,  hard  by  a  forest  side." 

"  Just  so,"  said  Pratt,  in  the  hard,  unromantic  way 
of  the  twentieth  century ;  "  it's  the  kind  of  church  you 
see  in  pictures." 

"  The  church  in  which  Sir  Percival  met  Sir  Gala- 
had," replied  Tempest. 

The  American  felt  the  influence  of  the  place  de- 
spite the  material  faith  which  he  held.  There  was  a 
vein  of  romance  in  his  nature  which  had  been  buried 
beneath  the  common-place  and  selfish.  But  in  this 
holy  solitude,  at  the  door  of  the  shrine,  his  spiritual 
self  came  uppermost,  and  when  he  stood  bare-headed 
in  the  nave  his  talkative  tongue  was  silent.  The  in- 
fluence of  the  unseen  surrounded  him,  and,  like  Moses, 


i6  The  Pagan's  Cup 

he  was  inclined  to  put  off  his  shoes,  "  for  this  is  holy 
ground,"  murmured  his  heart. 

Glancing  at  his  companion,  Tempest  was  surprised 
to  see  his  usually  pale  and  calm  face  working  with 
emotion  and  covered  with  blushes. 

"You  are  unwell,  Mr  Pratt?"  he  asked  in  a  low 
tone  befitting  the  place. 

The  man  stammered,  "  No — that  is,  I  feel  that — 
well,  no  matter."  He  controlled  himself  by  a  power- 
ful effort  and  laughed.  Tempest  was  not  shocked. 
He  was  shrewd  enough  to  see  that  the  merriment 
was  artificial  and  designed  to  cloak  a  deeper  feeling. 
But  the  laughter  was  reproved  in  a  most  unexpected 
fashion. 

"  The  joy  of  the  profane  is  as  the  passing  smoke," 
said  a  high,  sweet  voice. 

Pratt  started  in  surprise,  and  looked  around.  He 
saw  the  jewelled  windows  shining  through  the  dim 
twilight  of  the  church,  the  white  cloth  on  the  altar, 
and  the  glimmer  of  a  silver  crucifix,  in  the  faint  light 
of  tall  candles.  But  who  had  spoken  he  could  not 
guess,  as  no  one  was  in  sight.  Mr  Tempest,  how- 
ever, had  recognised  the  voice. 

"  Is  that  you.  Pearl  ?  "  he  called  out  softly. 

From  behind  the  altar  emerged  a  girl  of  eighteen, 
though  in  looks  and  stature  she  was  a  child.  She 
was  small  and  delicately  formed,  and  on  her  thin 
white  face  there  was  a  vacant  look  as  of  one  whose 
wits  were  astray.  No  intelligence  shone  through  her 
dark  eyes,  but  a  mystical  light  burned  in  their  depths. 
Like  Kilmeny,  she  had  been  to  fairyland,  and  had  seen 


The  Crusaders'  Chapel  17 

things  which  had  hfted  her  above  the  common  lot  of 
mortals.  Therefore  upon  her  face  there  shone  the 
light  that  never  was  on  sea  or  land.  And,  curiously- 
enough,  she  was  dressed  in  a  green  gown — the  fairy's 
colour.  Round  her  straw  hat  was  twisted  a  wreath 
of  oak  leaves.  When  she  appeared  her  arms  were 
full  of  flowers. 

"  You  are  decorating  the  altar,  Pearl,"  said  the  vicar, 
kindly. 

"  I  am  making  ready  the  House  for  the  Master's 
coming,"  replied  the  girl  in  her  silver}^  voice,  "  but 
He  wull  abide  here  but  a  little  time."  She  pointed 
to  the  groined  roof  of  black  oak.  "  That  shuts  out 
His  Home,"  said  Pearl,  reverently,  "  and  He  loves 
not  to  dwell  in  darkness." 

"  Darkness  and  light  are  the  same  to  Him,  Pearl. 
But  go  on  with  your  work,  my  child.  You  have 
beautiful  flowers  I  see." 

"I  gathered  them  in  the  woods  before  dawn,  when 
the  dew  was  yet  on  them.  And  see,  I  have  got  these 
mosses  to  put  into  the  pots.  The  flowers  will  be  quite 
fresh  to-morrow  for  morning  service.  Then  they 
will  die,"  added  the  girl,  heaving  a  sigh,  "  die,  as  we 
all  must." 

"  To  rise  again  in  the  light  of  Heaven,  child." 

Pearl  shook  her  black  locks  and  turning  back  to  the 
altar  began  dexterously  to  arrange  the  flowers.  When 
passing  and  re-passing  she  never  forgot  to  bend  the 
knee.  Pratt  observed  this.  "  Is  she  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic?" !Mr  Tempest  smiled.  "She  does  only  what 
I  have  taught  her,"  he  said.     "  I  am  what  is  called 


i8  The  Pagan's  Cup 

High  Church,  Mr  Pratt,  and  believe  in  a  beautiful 
ritual.  To  the  service  of  God  we  should  bring  all 
lovely  things,  and  perform  all  solemn  acts  of  humility 
and  reverence.  That,"  said  Tempest,  pointing  to  the 
white-covered  altar,  "  is  a  symbol  of  the  Unseen 
Power,  and  so  those  who  approach  it  should  acknowl- 
edge its  solemn  meaning." 

Pratt  shrugged  his  shoulders.  The  vicar  was  talk- 
ing of  things  too  high  for  his  comprehension.  He 
looked  at  the  mad  girl  decorating  the  altar.  "  I  sup- 
pose the  villagers  think  a  great  deal  of  this  church," 
he  said. 

"  It  is  the  most  precious  possession  we  have,"  re- 
plied Tempest,  reverently,  "and  it  is  all  that  remains 
to  us  of  the  beautiful  and  sacred  things  created  by 
the  faith  of  our  forefathers.  There  were  many  ves- 
sels for  the  altar,  Mr  Pratt;  but  these  were  melted 
down  by  the  Gabriel  who  fought  for  the  first  Charles 
in  order  to  help  his  king.  I  would  we  had  a  com- 
munion service  as  beautiful  as  this  shrine,"  and  Mr 
Tempest  sighed. 

The  remark  gave  Pratt  an  idea.  He  wanted  to  ob- 
tain the  goodwill  of  the  villagers  seeing  he  had  come 
amongst  them  to  pass  his  days  in  peace.  If  they  loved 
their  church  so  much  they  would  approve  of  anyone 
who  helped  to  decorate  it.  "  I  am  not  rich,"  he  said 
slowly,  "  and  I  can't  give  you  a  whole  service  such 
as  you  want.  But  I  should  like  to  present  this  chapel 
with  a  communion  cup.  I  have  in  my  travels  col- 
lected many  beautiful  things,  Mr  Tempest.  Amongst 
others  a  golden  cup  of  Roman  workmanship  which 


The  Crusaders'  Chapel  19 

I  obtained  in  Italy.  It  is  a  splendid  example  of  the 
jeweller's  art,  and  would  look  well  on  that  table." 

"  On  the  altar,"  corrected  Tempest,  wincing  at  the 
sound  of  the  word  which  he  connected  with  the  Low 
Church  party.  "  It  is  more  than  good  of  you,  Mr 
Pratt.  We  must  talk  the  matter  over.  I  do  not  ac- 
cept gifts  lightly,  especially  for  the  service  of  the 
Church.  But  come,  let  us  look  at  the  tombs.  Then 
we  can  go  to  luncheoo." 

Pratt  said  no  more,  but  fully  made  up  his  mind  that 
the  cup  of  which  he  spoke  should  figure  on  the  altar. 
He  had  a  vague  kind  of  idea  that  he  could  buy  re- 
pentance if  he  gave  so  splendid  a  present.  If  the  vicar 
proved  difficult  to  deal  with,  he  resolved  to  ask  for 
Mrs  Gabriel's  help.  As  the  lady  of  the  manor,  she 
could  insist  upon  the  acceptance  of  the  offering. 
There  was  no  reason  why  Tempest  should  refuse  it, 
but  Pratt  knew  that  the  old  man  was — as  he  phrased 
it — queer,  and  one  never  knew  what  objection  he 
might  make.  If  he  thought  that  the  cup  was  given 
only  to  secure  the  goodwill  of  the  parish  he  would 
certainly  refuse  it.  A  gift  made  in  such  a  spirit  could 
not  be  accepted  by  the  Church. 

Meanwhile  he  examined  the  tombs  of  the  crusading 
Gabriels,  which  he  had  seen  often  before.  But  the 
vicar  made  the  present  visit  more  acceptable  by  re- 
counting the  legends  connected  with  each  recumbent 
figure.  The  tombs  were  three  in  number,  and  occu- 
pied what  was  called  the  Ladye's  Chapel.  Their  sides 
were  richly  blazoned  with  the  Gabriel  crest  and  with 
decorations  of  scallop  shells  to  denote  that  those  who 


20  The  Pagan's  Cup 

rested  below  had  been  to  the  Holy  Land.  The  figures 
of  the  brave  knights  were  cross-legged,  and  their 
hands  rested  on  the  pommels  of  their  huge  swords. 
Considering  the  lapse  of  time,  they  were  in  a  wonder- 
ful state  of  preservation.  Pratt  looked  upon  them  with 
a  sigh,  and  the  vicar  inquired  the  reason  of  his  sad- 
ness. 

"  I  was  thinking  of  the  glory  of  having  such  an- 
cestors," said  Pratt,  and  Mr  Tempest  noticed  that  his 
Yankee  twang  and  mode  of  expressing  himself  had 
quite  disappeared.  "  I  would  give  anything  to  come 
of  such  a  line — to  have  a  dwelling  that  had  been  in 
the  possession  of  my  race  for  centuries,  and  to  have 
traditions  which  I  could  live  up  to.  I  am  a  lonely 
man,  Mr  Tempest,"  he  added,  with  some  pathos,  "  no 
one  cares  for  me.  I  never  had  a  home,  or  a  family, 
or  a  position  in  the  world.  All  my  life  I  have  had 
to  fight  for  my  own  hand,  and  for  years  I  have  been 
a  rolling  stone.  Money,  yes !  I  have  made  money, 
but  I  would  give  it  all,"  and  he  pointed  to  the  crusad- 
ers, "  if  I  could  call  those  my  ancestors." 

Mr  Tempest  looked  surprised.  "  I  did  not  expect 
to  hear  such  views  from  the  mouth  of  a  Republican," 
he  said,  "  for,  as  you  are  an  American,  I  presume  you 
hold  by  the  political  faith  of  Washington." 

"  I  don't  hold  by  anything  in  particular,"  replied 
Pratt,  recovering  himself,  as  they  left  the  chapel. 
"  I  am  unfettered  by  sectarian  prejudices.  You  can 
call  me  a  cosmopoHtan,  Mr  Tempest.  But  we  can 
talk  of  these  things  on  some  other  occasion.  You  must 
come  to  see  me.    I  have  furnished  The  Nun's  House, 


The  Crusaders'  Chapel  21 

and  have  got  out  my  collection  of  rare  and  curious 
things.  Will  you  and  Aliss  Tempest  dine  with  me 
next  week  ?  " 

"  I  rarely  go  out,"  replied  the  vicar ;  "however,  I 
will  see  what  Sybil  says.  If  she  is  willing,  I  will 
come  with  pleasure." 

"  Oh,  jMiss  Tempest  will  be  willing,"  said  Pratt, 
significantly.  "  Leo  Haverleigh  is  coming  to  dine 
also!" 

"  They  are  very  good  friends,"  said  the  vicar,  sim- 
ply. No  thought  of  what  Pratt  meant  entered  his 
mind. 

At  the  Vicarage  they  were  met  by  Sybil  and  the 
curate,  who  had  been  talking  to  her  about  parish  af- 
fairs for  the  greater  part  of  the  morning.  At  once 
Raston  drew  aside  his  ecclesiastical  superior,  and  the 
two  went  into  the  library,  leaving  Sybil  to  entertain 
the  American.  She  was  not  averse  to  doing  this,  as 
she  liked  Air  Pratt  and  his  merry  conversation.  Hav- 
ing recovered  from  the  emotion  caused  by  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  chapel,  the  man  was  more  pronouncedly 
Yankee  than  ever.  He  described  his  walk  with  the 
vicar,  and  repeated  his  invitation  to  dinner.  "  Airs 
Gabriel  and  Mr  Haverleigh  are  coming,"  he  said, 
"  and  I  shall  also  ask  Sir  Frank  Hale  and  his  sister." 

Sybil  smiled  on  hearing  that  Leo  was  to  be  pres- 
ent, but  her  brow  clouded  over  when  she  heard  about 
the  baronet  and  Miss  Hale.  She  did  not  like  that 
young  woman,  and  Pratt  knew  the  cause.  It  was  not 
unconnected  with  Leo.  He  was  the  prize  for  which 
these  young  ladies  strove.    Miss  Hale  was  very  much 


22  The  Pagan's  Cup 

in  love  with  the  young  man,  and  so  was  Sibyl,  but  he 
cared  more  for  the  vicar's  daughter  than  for  Miss 
Hale.  The  two  girls  guessed  each  other's  feelings,  and 
disliked  one  another  accordingly.  This  might  not 
have  been  proper,  but  it  was  eminently  human.  How- 
ever, Sibyl  was  too  much  a  woman  of  the  world  to 
show  Pratt  what  she  felt,  and  she  accepted  his  invita- 
tion calmly  enough.  "  I  shall  be  delighted  to  come," 
she  said,  "  but  I  can't  answer  for  my  father." 

"  Oh,  I  have  something  to  lure  him,"  said  Pratt, 
easily,  "  and  I  think  you  will  be  pleased  also,  Miss 
Tempest."  And  thereupon  he  told  the  girl  of  his 
proposed  gift.  "  The  cup  is  over  a  thousand  years 
old,"  he  explained.  "  It  belongs  to  the  time  of  the 
Caesars." 

"  From  all  I  have  heard  of  them,"  said  Sybil, 
bluntly,  "  I  don't  think  a  vessel  of  their  manufacture 
ought  to  serve  for  a  Christian  ceremony." 

"  On  the  contrary,  the  cup  will  be  sanctified  by  be- 
ing put  to  such  a  good  use,"  said  Pratt,  "  and  you  can 
set  your  mind  at  rest.  Miss  Tempest.  I  got  the  cup 
from  the  church  of  a  little  Italian  town,  where  it  served 
for  a  chalice.  It  has  been  used  in  the  service  of  the 
Romish  Church  for  ages." 

"  In  that  case  I  am  sure  my  father  will  be  delighted 
to  accept  it.  He  is  anxious  to  get  some  vessels  for 
the  chapel  altar.  It  is  very  good  of  you  to  give  the 
cup,  Mr  Pratt." 

"  Not  at  all.  It  is  better  put  to  such  use  than  in 
my  collection.     However,  you  will  see  all  my  curios 


The  Crusaders'  Chapel  23 

when  you  come.  Air  Haverleigh  has  already  seen 
them." 

"  He  told  me  about  them  yesterday.  I  only  hope 
j\Ir  Haverleigh  will  be  here  next  week.  He  said 
something  about  going  away." 

"  Why  is  he  going  away  ?  "  Pratt  fixed  his  keen 
eyes  on  the  girl, 

"  I  think  he  is  in  trouble.  That  is,"  added  Sybil, 
hastily,  "  I  gathered  as  much.  But  don't  say  I  told 
you  anything,  Mr  Pratt.  Ah,"  she  broke  off  sud- 
denly, "  here  are  my  father  and  Mr  Raston." 

Pratt  cast  another  sharp  glance  at  her.  He  guessed 
that  something  was  wrong  with  Leo,  and  that  the 
young  man  had  told  her  of  his  trouble.  He  won- 
dered if  the  two  w-ere  engaged  when  they  were  thus 
confidential.  Pratt  took  an  interest  in  Leo,  as  he  had 
known  him  for  some  years,  and  rather  sympathised 
with  his  outbursts  of  youthful  folly.  He  thought  that 
marriage  would  steady  the  lad's  somewhat  volatile  na- 
ture, but  he  could  not  make  up  his  mind  as  to  w-hether 
Miss  Hale  or  Miss  Tempest  was  the  best  wife  for 
him.  However,  it  was  useless  for  Pratt  to  worry 
over  this,  as  he  recognised  very  clearly.  In  the  first 
place,  it  was  none  of  his  business ;  and  in  the  second, 
Leo  would  certrainly  choose  for  himself. 

"  I  am  giving  a  house-warming,  Air  Raston,"  said 
Pratt  during  luncheon,  "  and  I  should  like  you  to 
come  to  dinner.  Next  Thursday.  I  suppose  in  this 
Arcadian  spot  it  is  not  necessary  to  give  written 
invitations." 

"  I  accept  with  pleasure,"  replied  Raston,  quite  ig- 


24  The  Pagan's  Cup 

norant  that  Pratt  wished  to  enHst  him  on  his  side  in 
getting  the  vicar  to  accept  the  cup ;  "  but  as  to  written 
invitations — what  do  you  say,  Miss  Tempest?" 

"  Oh,  those  are  most  necessary,"  laughed  Sybil. 
"  We  are  very  particular  in  this  part  of  the  world." 

"  I  am  an  American,  you  see,  Miss  Tempest,  and 
I  don't  know  your  English  way  of  doing  things.  But 
the  invitations  shall  be  written  in  due  form.  I  guess 
it  is  as  well  to  humour  the  prejudice  of  folks." 

"  If  you  wish  to  be  popular,"  said  the  vicar,  "  you 
must  do  so  here." 

"  As  I  intend  to  die  in  this  part  of  the  world,  I 
must  get  on  with  the  crowd  somehow.  I  am  not 
accustomed  to  be  shunned,  and  that  is  what  your 
people  here  are  doing." 

"  Oh,  no !  "  cried  Sybil,  much  distressed,  "  they  are 
only  waiting  to  know  you  better,  Mr  Pratt.  In  a 
year  you  will  be  quite  friendly  with  them." 

"  I'm  friendly  with  them  now,"  said  Pratt,  dryly, 
"  it  is  they  who  hold  ofif." 

"  We  are  slow  to  make  friendships  here,"  said  Ras- 
ton,  "  but  when  we  do  accept  a  friend  we  stick  to 
him  always." 

"  You  are  a  native  of  these  parts,  Mr  Raston?  " 

"  I  was  born  and  bred  here." 

"  It  is  I  who  am  the  stranger,"  put  in  Mr  Tem- 
pest, "  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  my  parishioners 
took  to  me." 

"  You  are  adored  now,  papa,"  said  Sybil,  with  a 
bright   glance. 

"  And  someone  else  is  adored  also,"  put  in  Pratt. 


The  Crusaders'  Chapel  25 

Sybil  flushed  at  the  compliment.  She  thought  it  was 
in  bad  taste. 

After  a  time  the  conversation  turned  on  Pearl  Darry, 
and  Raston,  who  was  deeply  interested  in  her,  gave 
them  some  insight  into  the  girl's  mind.  "  She  does 
not  care  for  churches  built  by  hands,"  he  said.  "  If 
she  had  her  way  she  would  take  the  altar  into  the 
middle  of  the  moor  and  worship  there.  I  think  she 
feels  stifled  under  a  roof." 

■'  Ha !  "  said  Pratt,  with  a  swift  glance,  remember- 
ing Mrs  Jeal,  "  is  she  of  gipsy  blood  ?  She  looks 
like  it." 

"  No.  Her  dark  complexion  comes  from  Highland 
blood,"  explained  Sybil.  "  Her  father,  Peter  Darry, 
was  a  stone  mason.  He  is  dead  now — died  through 
drink.  While  working  in  Perth  he  married  a  farmer's 
daughter.  They  came  back  here  and  Pearl  was  born. 
Then  her  mother  died  and  her  father  treated  her 
badly.  Mrs  Jeal  rescued  her,  and  Peter  fell  over  a 
cliff  while  drunk." 

''  Mrs  Jeal  is  a  good  woman,"  said  Tempest, 
mechanically. 

"Do  you  endorse  that  statement.  Miss  Tempest?" 

Sybil  looked  at  Pratt  who  had  spoken.  "  I  think 
Mrs  Jeal  was  very  good  to  take  charge  of  Pearl,"  she 
said  evasively,  whereat  Pratt  smiled  to  himself.  He 
saw  that  Sybil  did  not  like  the  woman,  and  privately 
admired  her  insight. 

Mr  Pratt  was  destined  to  deliver  all  his  invitations 
verbally.  On  his  way  home  after  the  vicar's  luncheon 
he  met  with  a  rider  on  a  roan  horse.     This  was  a  fair, 


26  The  Pagan's  Cup 

handsome  young  man  with  a  clear  skin,  a  pair  of  bright 
blue  eyes  and  a  sunny  look  on  his  face.  He  had  a  re- 
markably good  figure,  and  rode  admirably.  Horse 
and  man  made  a  picture  as  they  came  up  the  road. 
Pratt  waved  his  hands  and  the  rider  pulled  up. 

"  How  are  you  this  morning,  Haverleigh?  " 

Leo  laughed.  He  did  not  wear  his  heart  on  his 
sleeve,  and  if  he  was  worried,  as  Sybil  averred,  he 
did  not  show  his  vexation.  "  I  am  all  right,"  he  re- 
phed,  with  a  smile.  "  Who  could  help  being  all  right 
in  this  jolly  weather?  And  how  are  you,  Mr 
Pratt?" 

"  I  am  busy,"  responded;  the  American,  gravely. 
"  I  have  been  lunching  with  the  vicar,  and  now  I  am 
going  home  to  write  out  invitations  for  a  dinner  at  my 
new  house." 

"Will  you  ask  me,  Mr  Pratt?" 

"  I  have  asked  Miss  Tempest  and  I  want  you  to 
come." 

Leo  laughed.  Also  he  flushed  a  trifle.  "  It  is  very 
good  of  you,"  he  said.  "  And  who  else  will  be  at  your 
house-warming  ?  " 

"  Mrs  Gabriel,  Mr  Raston,  Miss  Hale  and  her 
brother." 

"  Oh  I  "  Leo  looked  annoyed  at  the  mention  of  Miss 
Hale.  "  I  am  not  sure  if  I  shall  be  able  to  come,"  he 
said,  after  a  pause. 

"  No  ?  "  Pratt's  tone  was  quite  easy.  "  Miss  Tem- 
pest said  something  about  your  going  away.  But  I 
hope  you  will  put  that  off.     My  dear  fellow" — Pratt 


The  Crusaders'  Chapel  27 

smiled  meaningly — "'  you  can  depend  upon  me.  It  is 
not  the  first  time  I  have  helped  you !  " 

Haverleigh  made  no  direct  response,  but  sat  on  his 
saddle  in  deep  thought.  "  I'll  come,"  he  said  at  length, 
and  rode  off  abruptly. 

"'  I  thought  you  would,"  murmured  Pratt,  with  a 
bland  smile.  He  knew  more  about  Leo  Haverleigh 
than  most  people  in  Colester. 


CHAPTER     III 

THE      LADY      OF      THE      MANOR 

Haverleigh's  face  did  not  continue  to  wear  its 
sunny  expression  after  he  left  the  American.  He 
frowned  and  bit  his  moustache,  and  in  the  annoyance 
of  the  moment  spurred  his  horse  full  speed  up  the 
castle  road.  Only  when  he  was  within  the  avenue  and 
nearing  the  porch  did  he  slacken  speed,  for  his  mother 
— so  he  called  her — might  be  looking  out  of  some 
window.  If  so,  she  would  assuredly  accuse  him  of 
ill-using  his  horse.  Mrs  Gabriel  rarely  minced  mat- 
ters in  her  dealings  with  Leo.  He  was  never  per- 
fectly sure  whether  she  loved  or  hated  him. 

Mindful  of  this,  he  rode  gently  round  to  the  stables, 
and,  after  throwing  his  reins  to  a  groom,  walked  into 
the  castle  by  a  side  door.  As  he  had  been  absent  all 
the  morning,  he  was  not  very  sure  of  his  reception, 
and,  moreover,  he  had  eaten  no  luncheon.  The  butler 
informed  him  that  Mrs  Gabriel  had  asked  that  he 
should  be  sent  to  her  the  moment  he  returned.  At 
one  Leo  sought  her  on  the  south  terrace,  where  she 
was  walking  in  the  hot  June  sunshine.  He  augured  ill 
from  her  anxiety  to  see  him.  A  memory  of  his  debts 
and  other  follies — pardonable  enough — burdened  his 
conscience. 


The  Lady  of  the  Manor  29 

"  Here  I  am,  mother,"  he  said  as  he  walked  on  to 
the  terrace,  looking  a  son  of  whom  any  woman  would 
have  been  proud.  Perhaps  if  he  had  really  been  her 
son,  instead  of  her  nephew.  Airs  Gabriel  might  have 
been  more  lenient  towards  him.  As  it  was  she  treated 
him  almost  as  harshly  as  Roger  Ascham  did  Lady  Jane 
Grey  of  unhappy  memory. 

''  It  is  about  time  you  were  here,"  she  said  in  her 
strong,  stern  voice.  "  As  you  are  so  much  in  London, 
I  think  you  might  give  me  a  few  hours  of  your  time 
when  you  condescend  to  stay  at  the  castle." 

Leo  threw  himself  wearily  into  a  stone  seat  and 
played  with  his  whip.  This  was  his  usual  greeting, 
and  he  knew  that  Mrs  Gabriel  would  go  on  find- 
ing fault  and  blaming  him  until  she  felt  inclined  to 
stop.  His  only  defence  was  to  keep  silent.  He 
therefore  stared  gloomily  on  the  pavement  and  listened 
stolidly  to  her  stormy  speech.  "  No  reverence  for 
women — after  all  I  have  done  for  you — clownish  be- 
haviour," etc.  r 

Some  wit  had  once  compared  Airs  Gabriel  to 
Agnes  de  Montfort,  that  unpleasant  heroine  of  the 
Middle  Ages.  The  comparison  was  a  happy  one,  for 
Mrs  Gabriel  was  just  such  another  tall,  black-haired, 
iron-faced  Amazon.  She  could  well  have  played  the 
role  of  heroine  in  holding  the  castle  against  foes,  and 
without  doubt  would  have  been  delighted  to  sustain 
a  siege.  The  present  days  were  too  tame  for  her. 
She  yearned  for  the  time  when  ladies  were  left  in 
charge  of  the  donjon  keep,  while  their  husbands  went 
out  to  war.    More  than  once  she  fancied  that  if  she  had 


30  The  Pagan's  Cup 

lived  in  those  stirring  times,  she  would  have  armed 
herself  like  Brittomart,  and  have  gone  a  disguised 
knight-errant  for  the  pleasure  and  danger  of  the 
thing.  As  it  was,  she  found  a  certain  relief  in  the 
power  she  exercised  in  Cclester.  Her  will  was  law 
in  the  town,  and  her  rule  quite  feudal  in  its  demand 
for  absolute  ohedience. 

Report  said  that  the  late  John  Gabriel  had  not  been 
altogether  sorry  when  he  departed  this  life.  Un- 
doubtedly he  was  more  at  rest  in  the  quiet  graveyard 
near  the  chapel  than  he  had  ever  been  before.  Mrs 
Gabriel  mourned  him  just  as  much  as  she  thought 
proper.  She  had  never  professed  to  love  him,  and 
had  married  him  (as  she  calmly  admitted)  in  order 
to  become  mistress  of  the  grand  old  castle.  Besides, 
Gabriel  had  always  hampered  her  desire  to  rule,  as  he 
had  sufficient  of  the  old  blood  in  him  to  dislike  being 
a  cypher  in  his  ancestral  home.  Consequently,  hus- 
band and  wife  quarrelled  bitterly.  Finally,  he  died, 
gladly  enough,  and  the  Amazon  had  it  all  her  own 
way.  It  was  about  two  years  after  his  death  that  Leo 
came  to  live  with  her,  and  everyone  was  amazed  that 
she  should  behave  so  kindly  towards  the  child  of  her 
dead  brother,  whom,  as  it  was  well  known,  she  hated 
thoroughly. 

However,  Leo  came,  and  from  the  moment  he  en- 
tered the  house  she  bullied  him.  Spirited  as  the  boy 
was,  he  could  not  hold  his  own  against  her  stern  will 
and  powers  of  wrathful  speech.  When  he  went  to 
school  and  college  he  felt  as  though  he  had  escaped 
from  gaol,  and  always  returned  unwillingly  to  Col- 


The  Lady  of  the  Manor  31 

ester.  JMrs  Gabriel  called  this  ingratitude,  and  on 
every  occasion  brought  it  to  his  mind.  She  did  so 
now ;  but  even  this  could  not  induce  Leo  to  speak.  He 
declined  to  furnish  fuel  to  her  wrath  by  argument  or 
contradiction.  This  also  was  a  fault,  and  !Mrs  Gabriel 
mentioned  it  furiously. 

"Can't  you  say  something?"  she  cried,  with  a 
stamp.  "  Is  it  any  use  your  sitting  there  like  a  fool  ? 
What  explanation  have  you  for  me  ?  " 

''  To  what  ?  "  asked  Leo,  wearily ;  the  question  had 
been  asked  so  often.  "  You  have  accused  me  of  so 
many  things." 

"  Then  why  do  you  do  wrong?  I  am  talking  of 
those  debts  you  have  incurred  in  London.  You  gave 
the  list  to  me  before  you  went  out  riding." 

"  I  know,  mother.  I  thought  it  best  to  avoid  a  scene. 
But  it  seems  there  is  no  escape.  When  you  have 
quite  done  perhaps  you  will  let  me  speak  ?  " 

"  You  shall  speak  when  I  choose,"  rejoined  Mrs 
Gabriel,  fiercely.  "  All  I  ask  you  now  is,  how  comes 
it  that  your  debts  run  up  to  three  hundred  pounds? 
I  allow  you  that  income.    You  should  make  it  do." 

"  Perhaps  I  have  been  a  little  foolish,"  began  Leo, 
but  she  cut  him  short. 

"  A  little  foolish,  indeed !  You  have  behaved  like  a 
fool,  as  you  always  do.  What  right  have  you  to  be 
extravagant?  Are  you  in  a  position  to  be  so?  Have 
I  not  fed  and  clothed  and  educated  you?" 

"  You  have  done  everything  that  a  charitable  woman 
could  have  done." 


32  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  You  mean  that  a  mother  could  have  done.  Had 
you  been  my  own  child — " 

"  You  might  have  been  kinder  to  me,"  finished  the 
young  man. 

Mrs  Gabriel  stared  aghast  at  this  speech,  and  at  last 
broke  out  furiously,  "  Had  you  been  my  own  child 
you  would  have  been  a  stronger  man ;  not  a  weak  fool 
squandering  money,  and  defying  your  benefactress. 
You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself." 

"  I  am,"  replied  Leo,  bitterly,  "  ashamed  that  I  have 
endured  this  humiliating  position  for  so  long.  I  was 
only  a  child  when  you  brought  me  here,  and  had  no 
voice  in  the  matter.  Yet,  out  of  gratitude,  I  have  borne 
with  your  injustice,  and — " 

"  Injustice !  "  broke  in  Mrs  Gabriel.  "  What  do 
you  mean  ?  " 

"  My  meaning  is  not  hard  to  gather,  mother.  You 
have  never  been  just  to  me,  and  the  bread  with  which 
you  have  fed  me  has  been  bitter  enough  to  swallow. 
Do  you  think  that  I  can  go  on  listening  to  your  angry 
words  without  a  protest?  I  cannot.  My  position  is 
not  of  my  own  making,  and  since  you  find  me  a  bur- 
den and  an  ungrateful  creature,  the  best  thing  will  be 
to  put  an  end  to  the  position." 

"  Indeed !  "  sneered  the  woman.  "  And  how  do 
you  propose  to  do  that?  You  are  quite  unable  to 
earn  your  own  living." 

"  Oh,  there  is  one  way  of  doing  that,"  replied  Leo, 
grimly.  "  It  does  not  need  much  education  to  be  a 
soldier." 

"  A  soldier !  "  screamed  Mrs  Gabriel. 


The  Lady  of  the  Manor  33 

"  Yes.  I  made  inquiries  while  I  was  in  London,  as 
I  knew  very  w,ell  what  welcome  you  would  give  me. 
It  is  my  intention  to  volunteer  for  the  war." 

"  You'll  do  nothing  of  the  sort." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  have  made  up  my 
mind." 

"  Then  I  shall  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  you." 

"  That  is  as  you  please,  ]Mrs  Gabriel.  You  are  my 
aunt,  and  I  suppose  you  have  no  right  to  support  me 
out  of  charity.  At  any  rate,  you  have  no  right  to 
keep  me  here  and  taunt  me  all  the  time  with  my  in- 
ability to  keep  myself.  Again  I  say  that  the  position 
is  none  of  my  making.  However,  I  intend  to  relieve 
you  of  the  burden  of  a  useless  man.  Next  week  I 
shall  enlist.     Then  you  will  be  well  rid  of  me." 

Airs  Gabriel  gasped.  "I  forbid  you!"  she  cried, 
with  a  stamp. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  must  decline  to  accept  the  command," 
said  Haverleigh,  with  great  coolness.  "  You  have 
told  me  often  enough  that  I  am  a  beggar  and  a  loafer. 
You  shall  do  so  no  longer.  As  to  my  debts,  I  shall 
see  to  them  myself.  You  need  not  pay  them,  nor 
need  you  continue  my  allowance.  I  earn  my  own 
bread  from  this  moment." 

"How  dare  you,  Leo?  Do  you  not  owe  me  some- 
thing?" 

"  No !  You  have  cancelled  all  obligation  by  the 
way  in  which  you  have  treated  me.  Ever^ihing  you 
have  done  has  been  done  grudgingly.  If  you  did  not 
intend  to  behave  as  a  woman  should,  why,  in  Heaven's 
name,    did   you    not   leave   me   to   be    dependent    on 


34  The  Pagan's  Cup 

strangers?  They  oould  scarcely  have  been  more 
harsh  to  me  than  you  have  been.  But  this  is  the 
end  of  it.  I  reHeve  you  from  this  hour  of  the  burden 
you  complain  of." 

"  Take  care.    I  intended  you  to  be  my  heir,  and — " 

"  I  decline  to  accept  further  favours  at  your  hands," 
said  Leo,  proudly ;  "  for  what  you  have  done  I  thank 
you,  but  I  do  not  care  to  accept  an  inheritance  as  a 
favour.  Now  you  know  my  intentions  and  I  shall 
not  change  them." 

Mrs  Gabriel  raged  for  twenty  minutes  without 
making  the  least  impression  on  the  young  man.  He 
was  determined  to  put  an  end  to  the  position,  and  she 
found  that  she  could  not  longer  dominate  him  by  her 
wrath.  Then  Mrs  Gabriel  became  aware  that  she 
had  driven  him  like  a  rat  into  a  corner,  and  that,  like 
a  rat,  he  had  turned  to  fight.  For  reasons  best  known 
to  herself  she  did  not  wish  him  to  leave  her.  Forth- 
with she  abandoned  her  tyrannical  attitude,  and  took 
refuge  in  the  weakness  of  her  sex.  Considering  her 
boasting,  this  was  ironical. 

"  It  is  cruel  of  you,  Leo,  to  behave  thus  to  a  woman 
who  loves  you  !  " 

Leo,  leaning  over  the  parapet,  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders and  replied  without  looking  round.  "  That  is 
just  the  point,"  he  said.  "  You  really  do  not  love  me — 
no,  not  one  little  bit." 

"  I  do.  See  how  I  have  looked  after  you  all  these 
years." 

"  And  made  me  feel  that  I  was  a  pauper  all  the 


The  Lady  of  the  Manor  35 

time,"  he  retorted.  "  But  is  it  necessary  to  go  over 
all  the  old  ground?     I  have  made  up  my  mind." 

'*  You  shall  not  enlist." 

"  I  tell  you  I  shall." 

The  two  faced  one  another,  both  pale  and  both  de- 
fiant. It  was  a  contest  of  will,  and  the  weaker  would 
be  sure  to  yield  in  the  long  run.  Airs  Gabriel  quite 
expected  that  her  adopted  son  would  give  in,  as  he 
had  often  done  before,  but  this  time  she  found  to  her 
surprise  that  he  declined  to  move  from  his  attitude 
of  defiance.  Seeing  that  she  was  beaten,  she  suddenly 
calmed  and  proceeded  to  win  the  necessary  victory 
in  another  and  more  crafty  way. 

"  Sit  down,  Leo,"  she  said  quietly.  "  It  is  time  we 
had  an  explanation.  You  are  behaving  very  badly,  and 
I  must  request  you  at  least  to  listen  to  me." 

Haverleigh  had  been  doing  nothing  else  for  nearly 
an  hour,  so  this  speech  was  a  trifle  inconsistent.  How- 
ever, he  could  not  be  brutal,  so  with  another  shrug  he 
resumed  his  seat.  All  the  same  he  was  resolved  in 
his  own  mind  that  no  argument  she  could  use  should 
make  him  alter  the  course  he  had  determined  upon. 
Leo  could  be  obstinate  on  occasions. 

"  I  do  everything  I  can  for  your  good,"  said  Mrs 
Gabriel  in  a  complaining  tone,  "  yet  you  thwart  me  at 
every  turn."  Then  she  proceeded  to  recount  how  she 
had  sent  him  to  Eton,  to  Oxford,  how  she  had  per- 
mitted him  to  go  to  London  and  allowed  him  money, 
and  how  he  had  behaved  foolishly.  It  was  at  this 
point  the  young  man  interrupted  her. 

"  I  admit  that  I  have  been  foolish,  but  that  comes 


36  The  Pagan's  Cup 

from  want  of  experience.  You  can't  expect  me  to 
have  an  old  head  on  young  shoulders." 

"  Don't  interrupt  me,  please,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel, 
sharply.  "  Now  that  you  have  sown  your  wild  oats, 
I  want  you  to  come  here  and  take  your  position  as 
my  heir.  I  am  no  longer  so  young  as  I  was,  and  I 
need  someone  to  help  me  in  administering  the  estate. 
Besides,  I  want  you  to  marry." 

Leo  rose  from  his  seat.  "  You  wish  me  to  marry," 
said  he ;  then,  after  a  pause,  he  proceeded  sarcastically, 
"  And  I  suppose  you  have  chosen  me  a  wife  ?  " 

"  Just  so,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel,  coolly.  "  I  want  you 
to  marry  Miss  Hale." 

"  Not  if  there  was  not  another  woman  in  the 
world !  " 

"  That's  all  nonsense,  Leo.  She  has  a  good  dowry 
and  she  is  an  agreeable  girl.     You  shall  marry  her." 

"  I  don't  love  her,"  protested  Leo. 

"  No  matter ;  she  loves  you.  Her  brother  told  me 
so,  and  I  am  woman  enough  to  see  that  she  is  deeply 
attached  to  you." 

"  I  won't  marry  her !  "  said  Leo,  doggedly.  "  I 
have  a  right  to  choose  a  wife  for  myself,  and  Miss 
Hale  is  not  my  choice." 

"  Ah !    Then  what  I  have  heard  is  true  ?" 

"  What  have  you  heard  ? "  he  demanded,  with  a 
dangerous  look  in  his  blue  eyes.  Mrs  Gabriel  was 
going  too  far. 

"  That  you  are  in  love  with  Sibyl  Tempest." 

"  That  is  true.  She  is  a  beautiful  and  charming 
girl." 


The  Lady  of  the  Manor  37 

"  And  a  beggar !  "  burst  out  :Mrs  Gabriel,  savagely. 
''  Her  father  has  nothing  beyond  his  stipend,  and  that 
he  spends  on  books.  \Mien  he  dies  she  will  be  a  beg- 
gar. If  you  married  her  she  would  bring  you  no 
dowr}'." 

"  She  will  bring  me  herself,"  replied  Haverleigh, 
"  and  that  is  good  enough  for  me.  I  love  Sybil  with 
my  whole  soul." 

'•And  how  do  you  propose  to  keep  her?"  sneered 
Mrs  Gabriel. 

"  Not  as  the  heir  to  your  property,"  said  Leo, 
wrathfully.  "  In  some  way  or  another  I  shall  make 
my  way  in  the  world.  Sybil  is  quite  willing  to  wait 
for  me.    We  are  engaged." 

"  Ha !    You  seem  to  have  settled  the  whole  matter." 
"We    have.      And    it    will    not    be    unsettled    by 
anyone." 

The  young  man  looked  so  determined,  there  was 
such  fire  in  his  eye,  such  a  firmness  about  his  closed 
mouth,  that  ^Irs  Gabriel  felt  that  she  was  beaten.  For 
the  moment  she  retreated  gracefully,  but  by  no  means 
gave  up  her  point.  By  nagging  at  Leo  she  might  be 
enabled  to  bring  about  things  as  she  wished.  "  Well, 
have  it  your  own  way,"  she  said,  rising.  "  I  have  said 
mv  say,  and  you  are  behaving  abominably." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  should  think  so,  but  I  really  can- 
not submit  to  this  life  any  longer.  You  quite  under- 
stand that  next  week  I  go  to  London?  " 

"  As  you  please."  Mrs  Gabriel  was  outwardly  calm, 
but  inwardly  furious.  "I  hope  you  have  well  con- 
sidered what  you  are  doing?" 


38  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  I  have.  My  mind  has  been  made  up  for  some 
time." 

"  In  that  case,  Leo,  we  may  as  well  part  good  friends. 
I  shall  pay  your  debts  and  fit  you  out.  Now  do  not 
contradict  me.  If  you  have  any  feeling  of  gratitude 
you  will  at  least  let  me  do  this  much." 

Haverleigh  did  not  like  the  proposition,  as  he  felt 
that  Mrs  Gabriel  was  preparing  some  snare  into  which 
he  might  blindly  fall.  However,  as  he  could  not  see 
his  way  to  a  refusal,  and,  moreover,  was  weary  of  this 
bickering,  he  merely  bowed.  Mrs  Gabriel  had  thus 
gained  time,  and  in  some  measure  had  secured  the 
victor}^  It  remained  to  her  to  make  the  best  use  of 
it.  She  was  determined  that  Leo  should  marry  Edith 
Hale. 

"  Have  you  had  luncheon,  Leo?  "  she  asked,  chang- 
ing the  subject. 

"  No.    But  I  am  not  hungry  now." 

"  Nonsense.  A  big  man  like  you.  Come  in  and 
have  something  to  eat  at  once." 

As  a  refusal  would  only  have  meant  another  out- 
burst, Leo  accepted  the  inevitable,  and  moved  to- 
wards the  door  with  his  mother.  "  By  the  way,"  he 
said,  "  I  met  Mr  Pratt  down  below.  He  intends  to 
ask  us  to  a  house-warming." 

It  might  have  been  Leo's  fancy,  but  he  thought 
that  Mrs  Gabriel  started  at  the  mention  of  the  name. 
However,  there  was  an  emotion  in  her  hard  voice  as 
she  replied,  "  I  shall  be  rather  glad  to  see  the  in- 
terior of  his  house,  Leo.  It  is  said  that  he  has  the 
most  beautiful  things.    Will  he  ask  us  to  dinner?  " 


The  Lady  of  the  Manor  39 

"  Yes.    Hale  and  his  sister  are  coming." 

"  Ah !  "  said  Mrs  Gabriel  in  gratified  tones. 

"  And  the  vicar  and  his  daughter.  Also  Raston, 
the  curate." 

"  The  church  party,"  said  J\Irs  Gabriel,  disdain- 
fully. She  had  no  love  for  Tempest,  whom  she  re- 
gared  as  half  insane,  nor  for  Sibyl,  who  w^as  too  beau- 
tiful for  womanly  taste,  nor  for  Raston,  who  had  fre- 
quently fought  her  on  questions  connected  with  parish 
affairs. 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Leo,  who  had  been  meditating, 
"  why  has  jMr  Pratt  settled  in  these  parts  ?  I  should 
think  he  found  it  dull." 

j\Irs  Gabriel  smiled  contemptuously.  "  ]\Ir  Pratt 
is  not  a  foolish  young  man  like  someone  I  know," 
she  said ;  "  he  does  not  find  pleasure  in  the  follies  of 
the  Town.  For  my  part,  I  think  he  is  wise  to  settle 
here  in  his  old  age.  He  is  a  delightful  neighbour  and 
a  pleasant  companion." 

"  He  is  all  that,"  assented  Leo,  heartily.  He  liked 
Pratt.  "  You  have  known  him  for  many  years, 
mother  ?  " 

"  For  ten  or  twelve,"  replied  Mrs  Gabriel,  care- 
lessly. "  I  met  him  in  Vienna,  I  think,  and  he  called 
on  me  when  I  returned  to  London.  Afterwards  he 
came  down  here  and  fell  in  love  wath  the  place.  For 
years  he  has  been  a  rolling  stone,  but  always  said  that 
when  he  settled  down  he  would  come  to  Colester,  He 
is  liked,  is  he  not,  Leo?" 

''  He  is  more  than  liked.  He  is  immensely  popular 
— with  our  friends,  if  not  with  the  villagers.     You 


40  The  Pagan's  Cup 

have  done  a  good  deed  in  introducing  him  to  our  dull 
parish." 

"  I  don't  think  Mr  Pratt,  who  has  so  many  re- 
sources in  himself,  finds  it  dull,  my  dear.  However, 
I  shall  be  glad  to  accept  the  invitation  to  his  dinner. 
I  should  like  to  see  him  married." 

"  Indeed!    Have  you  chosen  him  a  wife  also?  " 

Mrs  Gabriel  laughed.  "  I  thought  he  might  take 
a  fancy  to  Sibyl  Tempest." 

"  Why,  he's  old  enough  to  be  her  father.  Be- 
sides— " 

"  Besides  you  love  her,"  finished  Mrs  Gabriel,  with 
a  shrug.  "  Well,  do  not  get  angry,  Leo.  I  should 
like  to  see  Mr  Pratt  marry  Sybil  and  you  the  hus- 
band of  Edith  Hale.  Then  everything  would  be 
right." 

"  I  don't  think  so  at  all,"  commenced  Haverleigh  in 
vexed  tones.  "  But  don't  let  us  quarrel  any  more.  I 
have  the  greatest  regard  for  Pratt,  but  I  do  not  care 
to  go  the  length  of  letting  him  marry  the  girl  I  love." 

"  You  know  very  little  of  Mr  Pratt,"  said  Mrs 
Gabriel,  looking  suddenly  at  the  young  man,  "'  how, 
then,  can  you  regard  him  so — " 

"  Oh,  I  have  seen  him  often  in  Town,"  broke  in 
Leo ;  "  sometimes  when  I  was  in  difficulties  and  did 
not  want  to  tell  you  Pratt  helped  me." 

"  With  money?  "  asked  Mrs  Gabriel,  sharply. 

"  Of  course  with  money.     But  I  paid  him  back." 

Mrs  Gabriel  made  no  answer,  but,  rising  suddenly, 
passed  out  of  the  room,  and  left  Leo  eating  his 
luncheon  alone.      Her  usually  calm  face  looked  dis- 


The  Lady  of  the  Manor  41 

turbed  and  her  hands  were  restless.     Leo's  informa- 
tion had   annoyed  her. 

"What  does  Pratt  mean?"  she  asked  herself. 
"  Can't  he  leave  the  boy  alone  after  all  these  years  ? 
I  wonder — "  She  broke  off  and  pressed  her  hand  to 
her  heart  as  though  she  there  felt  a  cruel  pain.  Per- 
haps she  did,  but  Airs  Gabriel  was  not  the  woman  to 
show  it. 


CHAPTER     IV 

THE       DINNER-PARTY 

Built  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the  Castle  Hill,  Mr 
Pratt's  residence,  commonly  known  as  The  Nun's 
House,  stood  a  little  distance  back  from  the  high- 
way which  led  down  to  King's-meadows.  It  was  a 
plain,  rough  stone  building  of  great  strength,  two 
storeys  in  Tieight,  and  with  a  high  roof  of  slate. 
Gloomy  in  the  extreme,  it  was  rendered  still  more 
so  from  its  being  encircled  by  a  grove  of  yew  trees 
which  gave  it  a  churchyard  air.  Not  the  kind  of  resi- 
dence one  would  have  thought  attractive  to  a  cheerful 
and  dapper  man  like  Richard  Pratt.  But  he  had,  so 
he  declared,  fallen  in  love  with  it  at  first  sight,  and 
Mrs  Gabriel,  always  having  an  eye  to  business,  had 
only  too  readily  granted  him  a  seven  years'  lease.  She 
was  delighted  at  the  chance  of  securing  a  tenant,  as 
the  house  had  been  empty  for  a  long  time  owing  to  its 
uncomfortable  reputation.  There  was  not  a  man, 
woman  or  child  in  Colester  that  did  not  know  it  was 
hannted. 

The  name  came  from  a  tradition,  probably  a  true 
one,  that  when  the  Colester  convent  had  been  sup- 
pressed by  Henry  VIII.,  the  evicted  nuns  had  found 
refuge  in  this  dismal  house,  a  dozen  of  them.  In  time 
they  died,  and  the  mansion  was  inhabited  by  other 


The  Dinner-Party  43 

people.  But  queer  sounds  were  heard,  strange  sights 
were  seen,  and  it  became  known  that  the  twelve  nuns 
re-visited  the  scene  of  their  exile.  There  never  was  a 
house  so  populated  with  ghosts ;  and  the  tenants 
promptly  departed.  Others,  lured  by  a  low  rent,  came, 
and  after  a  month's  trial  departed  also.  Finally  no  one 
would  stop  in  the  ill-omened  mansion  until  Mr  Pratt 
arrived.  He  liked  the  place,  laughed  at  the  gruesome 
reputation  of  the  dwelling,  and  announced  his  inten- 
tion of  making  it  his  home. 

"  Ghosts !  ''  laughed  Pratt,  with  his  cheery  smile. 
"  Nonsense.  Ghosts  went  out  with  gas.  Besides,  I 
should  rather  like  to  see  a  ghost,  particularly  of  a  nun. 
I  am  partial  to  the  fair  sex." 

"  I  wonder,  then,  you  never  married,"  said  the  per- 
son who  had  warned  him  against  the  house,  with  the 
best  intentions,  of  course. 

Pratt  looked  at  her — she  was  ]\Irs  Bathurst,  the 
gossip  of  the  neighbourhood — under  half-closed  eye- 
lids, and  smiled.  "  Ah!  "  said  he,  rubbing  his  plump 
white  hands,  "  I  have  admired  so  many  beautiful 
women,  dear  lady,  that  I  could  not  remain  constant  to 
one ;  "  which  reason,  although  plausible,  did  not  satisfy 
Airs  Bathurst.  But  then  she  was  one  of  those  amiable 
persons  always  willing  to  believe  the  worst  of  people. 

However,  Pratt  took  up  his  abode  in  the  chief 
Colester  inn,  and  sent  for  cartloads  of  furniture,  while 
the  house  was  being  re-decorated.  He  took  a  deal  of 
trouble  to  make  it  comfortable,  and  as  he  was  a  man 
of  excellent  taste,  with  an  eye  for  colour,  he  succeeded 
in  making  it  pretty  as  well.     In  six  weeks  the  place 


44  The  Pagan's  Cup 

was  ready  to  receive  him,  and  up  to  the  period  of  his 
walk  with  the  vicar,  Pratt  had  occupied  it  for  another 
six  without  being  disturbed  by  the  numerous  ghosts. 
The  Colester  folks  quite  expected  to  hear  that  he  had 
been  carried  off  like  Dr  Faust,  and  were  rather  dis- 
appointed that  he  met  with  no  ghostly  adventure.  But 
then  Mr  Pratt,  as  he  said  himself,  was  not  imaginative 
enough  for  spectres. 

Failing  his  leaving  the  house,  the  gentry  expected 
that  he  would  entertain  them  and  show  his  treasures, 
for  it  was  reported  that  he  had  many  beautiful  things. 
But  Pratt  was  in  no  hurry.  He  wanted  first  to  study 
his  neighbours  in  order  to  see  who  were  the  most 
pleasant.  In  a  surprisingly  short  time  he  got  to  know 
something  about  everyone,  and  on  the  knowledge  thus 
acquired  he  selected  his  guests.  In  addition  to  those 
already  mentioned,  he  invited  Mrs  Bathurst  and  her 
daughter  Peggy.  The  girl  was  pretty  and  tlie  mother 
talkative,  so,  in  Pratt's  opinion,  it  paid  to  ask  them. 
"There  is  no  chance  of  an  entertainment  being  dull  if 
Mrs  Bathurst  has  her  legs  under  the  table,"  he  said, 
and  this  being  reported  to  the  lady,  she  accused  Pratt 
of  coarseness.  Nevertheless,  she  accepted  the  invita- 
tion. Not  for  worlds  would  Mrs  Bathurst  have 
missed  a  sight  of  re-decorated  Nun's  House.  Besides, 
it  was  her  duty  to  go.  She  supplied  all  the  gossip  of 
the  neighbourhood. 

Anxious  to  see  as  much  as  possible  of  the  house, 
Mrs  Bathurst  was  the  first  to  arrive.  Pratt,  in  a 
particularly  neat  evening  dress,  advanced  to  meet  her 
and  Peggy  with  a  smile.    He  knew  very  well  that  her 


The  Dinner-Party  45 

ungovernable  curiosity  had  led  her  to  be  thus  early. 
"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Mrs  Bathurst,"  he  said 
genially ;  *'  pray  sit  down.    You  are  the  first  to  arrive." 

"  I  always  like  to  be  punctual,"  responded  the  lady, 
nodding  to  her  daughter  that  she  also  should  be  seated. 
"  Dear  me,  how  well  this  room  looks !  I  can  see  you 
have  spared  no  expense." 

''  I  like  to  make  myself  comfortable,  Mrs  Bathurst. 
We  only  have  one  life." 

"  I  wonder  you  care  to  spend  it  in  such  a  dull  place 
as  Colester.  If  Air  Bathurst  were  rich  I  should  make 
him  take  me  to  London." 

''You  would  soon  get  tired  of  the  roar  of  that  city." 

Here  Peggy%  who  was  fair  and  pretty  and  fond  of 
gaiety,  shook  her  blonde  head  vigorously.  "  I  should 
never  get  tired  of  fun,"  she  said.  "  I  could  go  to  a 
dance  every  night  and  still  want  more." 

"  Ah,  Miss  Pegg\%  you  are  young  and  active!  " 

"  Well,  dear  :Mr  Pratt,  you  are  not  old,"  said  Mrs 
Bathurst,  flatteringly ;  "  we  must  make  you  happy 
here.  I  am  sure  you  are  quite  an  acquisition.  We 
must  find  you  a  wife." 

"  I  shall  apply  to  you  when  I  want  one,"  he  said, 
with  a  laugh ;  ''  but  I  guess  I'm  not  made  to  run  in 
double  harness." 

"  What  odd  expressions  you  use !  I  daresay  that 
comes  from  your  being  an  American.  Never  mind, 
you'll  soon  lose  all  Americanisms  here.  I  look  upon 
you  as  quite  one  of  ourselves,  dear  Mr  Pratt." 

The  fact  is  that  Mrs  Bathurst  wished  to  bring 
about  a  marriage  between  her  daughter  Peggy  and  the 


46  The  Pagan's  Cup 

newcomer.  He  had  been  introduced  by  Mrs  Gabriel, 
so  his  social  position  was  secure;  and  if  one  could 
judge  from  the  magnificent  furnishing  of  the  house, 
he  was  a  wealthy  man.  That  Peggy  herself  should  be 
consulted  never  entered  her  m_other's  head. 

Pratt  guessed  what  Mrs  Bathurst  was  after,  and 
chuckled.  He  had  no  intention  of  having  the  good 
lady  for  a  mother-in-law.  Moreover,  he  knew  that 
Peggy  was  in  love  with  Raston,  the  curate.  Never- 
theless, having  a  love  of  tormenting  people,  and  wish- 
ing to  punish  Mrs  Bathurst,  he  sighed,  cast  a 
languishing  look  at  Peggy,  and  allowed  the  mother  to 
think  that  he  might  be  guided  by  her  wish.  Seeing 
this,  the  lady  pushed  her  advantage  vigorously,  and 
was  getting  on  very  well  by  the  time  the  other  guests 
arrived.  Then,  after  some  desultory  conversation, 
dealing  with  the  weather  and  the  crops,  all  went  in  to 
dinner. 

The  table  was  beautifully  set  out.  The  linen  was 
snowy  white,  the  silver  and  crystal  of  the  best,  and 
the  flowers,  which  Pratt  had  personally  arranged,  were 
skilfully  chosen  and  blended.  The  women  present 
were  rather  annoyed  that  a  man  should  be  able  to  man- 
age a  house  so  well,  for  the  dinner  was  one  of  the  best 
that  had  ever  been  eaten  in  Colester,  and  the  service 
was  all  that  could  be  desired.  What  was  the  use, 
thought  Mrs  Bathurst,  of  suggesting  a  wife  to  a  man 
who  knew  so  well  how  to  dispense  with  one?  She 
could  not  have  arranged  things  better  herself,  and  it 
was  vexing  that  a  mere  man  should  be  able  to  beat  a 
woman  on  her  own  ground. 


The  Dinner-Party  47 

''  You  have  certainly  made  a  very  pretty  place  of  it, 
]Mr  Pratt,"  said  Airs  Gabriel,  when  they  returned  to 
the  drawing-room.  "  I  suppose  you  will  live  here  for 
many  a  long  day?  " 

"  I  hope  to  die  here,"  he  replied,  smiling.  "  But  one 
never  knows.  I  may  take  a  fancy  to  resume  my 
travels." 

"  You  are  like  Ulysses,"  put  in  the  vicar,  "  you 
know  men  and  cities." 

"  And,  like  Ulysses,  I  don't  think  much  of  either, 
Mr  Tempest." 

"  Come  now !  "  cried  Leo,  laughing.  "  I  never 
heard  that  Ulysses  was  a  cynic." 

"  He  was  not  modern  enough,"  said  Sybil,  who  was 
looking  particularly  charming,  much  to  the  anger  of 
Mrs  Gabriel,  who  saw  in  her  a  man-trap  for  her 
adopted  son. 

"  I  don't  think  cynicism  is  altogether  a  modem  dis- 
ease," remarked  Sir  Frank  Hale.  "  Solomon  had  not 
much  belief  in  human  nature." 

"  What  could  you  expect  from  a  man  who  had  so 
many  wives  ?  "  put  in  Pratt,  in  a  dry  voice.  The  re- 
mark annoyed  Mrs  Bathurst.  It  augured  ill  for  her 
scheme  to  marry  Pegg}'.  A  man  who  talked  thus  of 
women  could  never  be  brought  to  respect  his  mother- 
in-law. 

While  this  conversation  was  taking  place  Airs  Ga- 
briel kept  a  vigilant  e}-e  on  Leo.  Whenever  he  tried 
to  edge  up  to  Sybil  she  contrived  to  get  in  the  way,  and, 
finally,  by  a  dexterous  move,  she  placed  him  'longside 
the  baronet's  sister.    Edith  Hale  was  a  tall,  raw-boned, 


48  The  Pagan's  Cup 

thin  girl,  with  small  pretensions  to  beauty  or  wit.. 
She  had  a  freckled  skin  and  red  hair,  an  awkward  way 
of  carrying  herself  and  a  silent  tongue.  She  was  so 
deeply  in  love  with  Leo  that  she  followed  his  every 
movement  with  her  eyes,  until  he  found  her  regard 
most  embarrassing.  However,  Leo,  to  avert  a  storm 
when  he  returned  home,  was  obliged  to  show  her  every 
attention,  and  strolled  away  with  her  into  Mr  Pratt's 
new  conservatory.  Sybil  looked  disappointed,  but 
controlled  herself  sufficiently  to  play  an  accompaniment 
for  Peggy.  Raston  turned  over  the  leaves  of  the  mu- 
sic, and  Mrs  Bathust,  with  a  glance  at  Pratt,  settled 
herself  to  listen.  As  to  Mr  Tempest,  he  was  moving 
round  the  room  examining  the  objects  of  art  in  his 
usual  near-sighted  way.  Seeing  everyone  thus  occu- 
pied, Mrs  Gabriel  drew  aside  Sir  Frank  into  a  con- 
venient corner. 

The  baronet  was  a  pale-faced,  hunchback,  lame 
creature,  with  a  shrewish  expression  and  a  pair  of 
brilliant  grey  eyes.  He  had  been  an  invalid  all  his 
life,  and  his  temper  had  been  spoilt  thereby.  The 
only  person  in  the  world  for  whom  he  cherished  the 
least  affection  was  his  sister.  In  his  eyes  she  was  as 
beautiful  as  Helen  and  as  clever  as  Madame  de  Stael. 
He  knew  that  she  was  breaking  her  heart  for  Leo,  and 
resented  the  young  man's  indifference.  And  as  Hale 
had  the  spite  of  a  cripple,  his  resentment  was  not  to  be 
despised.     But  Leo  did  not  know  that. 

"  Frank,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel,  addressing  him  thus 
familiarly,  as  she  had  known  him  from  his  cradlC;. 


The  Dinner-Party  49 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  you  about  Leo.  It  is  time  he  was 
married.     Nothing  but  marriage  will  steady  him." 

"  Sybil  Tempest  is  ready  enough  to  become  his  wife, 
Mrs  Gabriel,"  snarled  the  little  man.  "  Why  don't 
you  speak  to  her  ?  " 

"  Because  she  is  not  your  sister,"  replied  Mrs 
Gabriel,  coldly.  "  I  do  not  intend  that  Leo  shall  throw 
himself  away  on  a  penniless  girl  who  has  nothing  but 
her  face  to  recommend  her.  Edith  has  both  brains  and 
beauty." 

"  Leo  does  not  see  that,"  said  Hale,  who  implicitly 
believed  in  his  companion ;  "  he  is  infatuated  with 
Sybil.  I  don't  say  a  word  against  her,"  he  added 
hastily ;   "  I  want  to  marry  her  myself." 

Mrs  Gabriel  looked  with  secret  contempt  on  the 
deformed  man,  and  wondered  how  he  could  have  the 
impertinence  to  think  that  any  woman  could  take  him 
for  her  husband.  However,  she  was  pleased  to  hear 
of  this  new  complication.  If  Sybil  could  be  induced  to 
marry  the  baronet — and  from  a  worldly  point  of  view 
the  match  was  a  good  one — she  would  be  out  of  the 
way.  In  despair  Leo  might  marry  Edith,  and  thus  all 
would  be  as  Mrs  Gabriel  wanted.  She  wished  to 
move  human  beings  as  puppets  to  suit  her  own  ends, 
and  never  thought  that  she  might  be  thwarted  by  the 
individual  will  of  those  with  whom  she  played.  How- 
ever, she  had  an  idea  of  how  to  entangle  matters  so 
as  to  carry  out  her  schemes,  and  commenced  her  in- 
trigue with  the  baronet.  She  knew  he  would  help  her, 
both  for  his  own  sake  and  for  the  sake  of  his  sister. 
At  the  same  time  she  moved  warily,  so  as  not  to  make 


50  The  Pagan's  Cup 

a  false  step.  It  was  no  easy  matter  to  deal  with  Hale, 
as  she  knew.  Once  or  twice  he  had  got  the  better  of 
her  in  business. 

"  I  don't  mind  being  candid  with  you,"  said  Mrs 
Gabriel  softly.  "  It  is  my  wish  that  Leo  should  marry 
Edith,  and  I  shall  be  delighted  to  help  you  to  become 
Sybil's  husband." 

"  It's  easy  saying,  but  harder  doing,"  said  Hale, 
snappishly.  "  Sybil  is  in  love  with  Leo,  and  the  woman 
who  admires  Apollo  will  not  look  upon  Caliban.  Oh,  I 
am  under  no  delusions  respecting  myself,"  he  added, 
with  a  hoarse  laugh.  "  I  am  not  agreeable  to  look 
upon,  but  I  have  money,  a  title  and  a  good  position. 
Nine  women  out  of  ten  would  be  content  with  these 
things." 

"  I  am  afraid  Sybil  is  the  tenth,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel, 
coldly.  "  However,  neither  she  nor  Leo  know  what 
is  good  for  them.  Help  me  to  marry  him  to  your  sis- 
ter, and  then  Sybil  will  fall  into  your  arms." 

"  Do  you  think  so?  " 

"  I  am  certain  of  it." 

"  How  are  we  to  manage  ?  "  asked  Hale,  after  a 
pause.    "  You  have  some  scheme.  " 

"  It  is  in  order  to  explain  my  scheme  to  you  that  I 
have  brought  about  this  conversation.  Listen.  I  am 
not  pleased  with  Leo.  He  has  been  leading  a  wild  life 
in  Town,  and  is  in  debt  to  the  tune  of  three  hundred 
pounds." 

"  Humph !  "  said  Frank,  under  his  breath.  "  These 
Apollos  know  how  to  waste  money.  I  shall  see  that 
Edith's  dowry  is  settled  on  herself." 


The  Dinner-Party  51 

"  And  I  shall  tie  up  the  Gabriel  property  so  that 
Leo  cannot  waste  it." 

Hale  looked  at  her  from  under  his  bushy  eyebrows. 
"  You  intend  that  he  shall  be  your  heir,  then  ?  " 

"  Assuredy.    If  he  does  what  I  want  him  to  do." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  He  must  marry  Edith  and  take  up  his  residence 
in  the  castle.  No  more  gadding  about,  no  more  wild 
living.  Let  Leo  be  a  respectable  country  gentleman 
and  his  future  is  secure." 

"  Have  you  explained  that  to  him  ? "  asked  the 
baronet,  sharply. 

'No.  Leo  is  a  fool,  and  infatuated  with  that  girl. 
I  must  force  him  to  do  what  I  want.  It  is  for  his 
own  good.  You  must  help,  both  for  the  sake  of  Edith, 
and  because  it  is  your  only  chance  of  marrying  Sybil." 

'*  I'm  quite  ready  to  help  you,  Mrs  Gabriel. 
Go  on." 

Mrs  Gabriel  glanced  round,  bent  her  head,  and 
spoke  lower.  "  I  intend  to  refuse  to  pay  this  three 
hundred  pounds  for  Leo.  There  is  no  chance  of  his 
earning  it  for  himself,  and  he  will  soon  be  in  serious 
difficulty.  Now  if  you  come  forward  as  his  old 
friend   and — " 

"  I  don't  like  lending  money,"  said  Hale,  who  was 
something  of  a  miser. 

"  If  you  want  to  gain  Sybil  and  make  your  sister 
happy,  you  must  lend  Leo  three  hundred  pounds. 
When  he  is  in  your  debt,  well — the  rest  is  easy." 

Hale  nodded.     "  I  see  what    you    mean,"  said  he, 


52  The  Pagan's  Cup 

ponderingly.    "  The  idea  is  not  a  bad  one.    But  Leo — 
humph !    Three  hundred  pounds !    A  large  sum !  " 

"  Oh,  I  will  be  your  surety  for  it,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel, 
impatiently.  She  did  not  want  her  plans  upset  by  this 
miser,  "  But  if  you  want  to  gain  anything  you  must 
sacrifice  something.    You  love  Sybil  ?  " 

"  With  my  whole  soul,"  said  the  cripple,  and  flushed. 

"  And  your  sister?  " 

"  I  would  give  anything  to  secure  her  happiness." 

"  Three  hundred  pounds  will  be  enough,"  said  Mrs 
Gabriel,  coolly.  "  Make  Leo  your  debtor,  and  then 
you  can  deal  with  him.  He  is  so  honourable  that  he 
will  keep  his  word  even  at  the  cost  of  his  happiness. 
Well  ?  " 

Hale  reflected.  "  I  will  think  of  it,"  said  he, 
cautiously. 

"  As  you  please.  But  remember  that  if  I  do  not 
have  this  settled  within  the  week,  I  shall  allow  Leo  to 
marry  Sybil." 

Of  course  Mrs  Gabriel  had  no  such  intention,  but 
she  determined  outwardly  on  this  course  to  frighten 
the  baronet.    It  had  the  desired  effect. 

"  I  will  see  to  the  matter,"  he  said  hastily  ;  "to-night 
I  will  ask  Leo  to  come  and  see  me.    It  will  all  be  ar- 
ranged.    But  three  hundred  pounds !  "     He  winced 
and  Mrs    Gabriel  smiled. 

"  I  will  be  your  surety,"  she  said,  rising.  "  Let  me 
know  when  you  have  made  Leo  your  debtor.  Come, 
we  must  not  talk  any  more.    Here  is  Mr  Pratt." 

It  was  indeed  the  host  who  came  to  disturb  them. 
He  wished  to  take  the  whole  party  round  his  house. 


The  Dinner-Party  53 

Leo  and  Edith  returned  from  the  conservatory,  the 
former  looking  bored,  the  latter  brilliantly  happy. 
Sybil  did  not  like  this,  and  glanced  reproachfully  at 
Leo,  who  immediately  would  have  gone  to  her  side,  but 
he  was  anticipated  by  Hale.  "  Help  me  to  get  round 
the  house,  IVIiss  Tempest,"  he  said,  pointing  to  his 
lame  leg.     "'  You  must  be  my  crutch." 

Sybil  could  not  but  assent,  and  so  Leo  found  himself 
out  in  the  cold.  Peggy,  who  approved  of  his  love  for 
Sybil,  took  his  arm.  "  Never  mind,"  she  said  softly, 
"  I  will  manage  to  take  Sir  Frank  away,"  and  Leo  gave 
her  hand  a  grateful  squeeze. 

"  Come,  all  of  you  !  "  cried  Pratt,  cheerily.  "  The 
museum  is  open." 

He  led  them  through  a  series  of  rooms  crammed  with 
treasures.  There  were  valuable  pictures,  pieces  of  rich 
tapestry,  exquisite  examples  of  goldsmith's  work,  and 
many  other  things  of  value.  Mr  Pratt  had  a  story 
for  every  object.  This  he  picked  up  in  the  Great  Ba- 
zaar at  Stamboul ;  that  was  a  bargain  obtained  in  an 
Italian  town  ;  the  silver  crucifix  came  from  Spain  ;  the 
lacquer  work  from  Japan.  Apparently  he  had  been 
all  over  the  world,  and  had  made  purchases  in  every 
part.  Here  was  the  evidence  of  his  travels  and  his 
wealth  before  the  longing  eyes  of  Mrs  Bathurst.  More 
than  ever  was  she  determined  that  Peggy  should 
become  Mrs  Pratt. 

While  Pratt  discoursed  and  the  company  exclaimed 
at  the  treasures  displayed  to  their  wondering  eyes,  Mrs 
Gabriel  maintained  her  haughty  silence.  She  surveyed 
all  the  beautiful  things  in  a  cold,  unemotional  manner, 


54  The  Pagan's  Cup 

and  kept  an  eye  on  the  movements  of  Leo.  He  felt 
uncomfortable  under  her  gaze,  and  once  or  twice 
looked  angrily  at  her.  But  Mrs  Gabriel  met  his 
indignant  looks  with  a  calm  smile. 

"  You  must  have  spent  a  fortune  on  all  this,"  said 
Hale,  inspecting  a  tray  of  antique  coins.  "  What  a 
collection !  " 

"  I  have  been  buying  for  years,"  explained  Pratt, 
smiling.  "  Mine  has  been  a  varied  life.  I  was  born 
of  poor  parents  and  had  to  make  my  own  way  in  the 
world.  For  years  I  worked  in  the  States,  in  South 
American  and  elsewhere  to  make  money.  Finally  I  se- 
cured a  fortune  in  South  Africa,  and  for  the  last  ten 
years  I  have  devoted  myself  to  collecting  these  things. 
They  have  been  stored  for  years,  and  now  that  I  have 
a  house  of  my  own,  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  been 
able  to  arrange  them.    I  am  glad  you  are  pleased." 

"  We  are  more  than  pleased,"  gushed  Mrs  Ba- 
thurst.  "  It  is  a  most  beautiful  treat  to  see  these  lovely 
things  and  hear  you  talk  about  them.  What  is  this 
cup,  dear  Mr  Pratt?" 

"  Ah !  "  said  Pratt,  taking  it  up.  "  This  is  the  prop- 
erty of  the  vicar." 

"  Mine !  "  said  Mr  Tempest  in  mild  surprise.  "  Dear 
me,  Mr  Pratt,  what  do  you  mean  ?  It  would  take  half 
my  year's  stipend  to  buy  this !  " 

"  It  is  the  cup  of  which  I  spoke  to  you,  vicar." 
Pratt  handed  it  to  Tempest  and  then  turned  to  the 
group.  "  I  wish  to  present  this  cup  to  the  chapel,  Mr 
Raston,"  he  said,  "  and  I  hope  that  you  and  Mr 
Tempest    will    accept    it    on    behalf    of    the     town. 


The  Dinner-Party  55 

It  is  an  old  Roman  goblet,  and  has  been  used  for  cen- 
turies as  a  communion  chalice  in  an  Italian  city.  I 
bought  it  many  years  ago.    Is  it  not  beautiful?  " 

The  cup  was  indeed  an  exquisite  object  of  art.  Of 
considerable  size,  it  was  of  pure  gold.  The  rim  and 
the  stem  were  set  round  with  gems  of  great  value,  and 
the  outside  was  embossed  with  faces  peering  from  out 
a  tangle  of  flowers.  It  had  two  handles  formed  of 
twisted  snakes  with  ruby  eyes  and  round  its  broadest 
part  ran  an  inscription  in  Latin.  The  vicar  held  the 
goblet  to  the  light  and  translated  the  inscription. 
"  '  To  the  great  God,  who  maketh  the  heart  joyful,'  " 
he  said,  then  added  dubiously,  "  Does  that  refer  to  a 
pagan  god,  or  to  the  ]\Iaker  of  all  things?  " 

"  If  the  cup  is  Roman,  probably  it  is  an  inscription  to 
Bacchus,"  said  the  curate,  a  shadow  on  his  face.  "  If 
so,  we  cannot  use  it  as  a  communion  cup."  Pratt 
laughed  and  raised  his  eyebrows  at  this  scrupulous  re- 
gard. "  You  can  set  your  mind  at  rest,"  he  said.  "  The 
priest  who  sold  it  to  me  on  account  of  the  poverty  of 
his  parish  church  said  that  the  inscription  was  in- 
scribed during  the  Middle  Ages.  It  refers  to  the  God 
of  Christendom." 

''  In  that  case,"  said  the  vicar  beaming,  "  I  accept 
the  cup  with  pleasure  and  with  many  thanks.  It  shall 
be  consecrated  and  placed  on  the  altar  by  the  end  of 
this  week." 

While  the  others  were  thanking  and  congratulating 
Mr  Pratt,  an  expression  of  relief  might  have  been  no- 
ticed on  his  face.  Airs  Gabriel,  who  knew  his  every 
look,  wondered  to  herself  why  he  appeared  to  be  so 


56  The  Pagan's  Cup 

pleased.  Evidently  he  was  thankful  to  be  rid  of  the 
cup.  However,  she  said  nothing,  as  she  was  a  wise 
woman,  but  added  her  congratulations  to  those  of  the 
others. 

"  Everyone  will  be  delighted,"  she  said  coldly. 
"  Such  generosity  is  unusual  in  Colester."  But  her 
glance  hinted  unusual  as  regarded  Pratt.  He  received 
the  hint  smilingly. 

"  I  hope  it  will  make  me  popular,"  said  he.  "  I  am 
weak  enough  to  wish  to  be  liked,  and  hitherto  I  have 
not  secured  the  goodwill  of  the  people." 

"  You  will  have  it  now,"  said  Raston,  "  and  par- 
ticularly that  of  Pearl  Darry.  She  loves  beautiful 
things  for  the  altar,  and  as  she  attends  to  the  deco- 
rating of  the  chapel,  it  will  be  a  constant  pleasure  to 
her  to  keep  this  cup  bright  and  spotless." 

"  I  hope  it  will  be  safe  with  her !  "  cried  Mrs  Ba- 
thurst.  "  These  insane  people  are  like  magpies,  and 
steal  anything  glittering  that  attracts  their  weak  fan- 
cies. Are  you  sure  she  will  not  take  it  away,  Mr 
Raston  ? " 

The  curate  was  indignant.  "  Pearl  would  no  more 
do  such  a  thing  than  take  her  own  life,  poor  soul,"  he 
said.  "  She  is  devoted  to  the  church.  Religion,  so  far 
as  her  own  poor  brain  understands  it,  is  her  one  con- 
solation." 

"  She  ought  to  be  shut  up,"  said  Mrs   Gabriel. 

"  There  I  differ  from  you,"  said  the  vicar,  mildly. 
**  She  is  not  harmful  enough  to  be  placed  in  durance. 
Let  her  enjoy  liberty  and  sunshine,  Mrs  Gabriel.  It 
is  little  pleasure  she  has." 


The  Dinner-Party  57 

"  She  seems  to  me  harmless  enough,"  said  Pratt, 
*'  and  if  this  cup  will  be  an  additional  pleasure  to  her, 
I  am  the  more  glad  that  Mr  Tempest  has  accepted  it. 
I  shall  have  it  wrapped  up,  vicar." 

"  Thank  you.  Be  very  careful,  Mr  Pratt.  So 
beautiful  an  object  must  not  be  carelessly  dealt  with." 
From  which  remark  it  will  be  seen  that  now  the  Ro- 
man goblet  was  the  property  of  the  Church  it  assumed 
quite  a  new  value  in  the  eyes  of  the  priest.  Formerly 
it  was  merely  a  beautiful  example  of  the  goldsmith's 
art ;  now  it  was  sacred. 

After  this  the  company  repaired  to  the  drawing- 
room,  where  Mr  Pratt  told  stories  until  quite  a  late 
hour  for  Colester.  Never  had  there  been  so  agreeable 
a  host  in  the  dull  little  provincial  town,  and  one  and 
all  confessed  themselves  charmed  with  their  evening. 
"  Quite  an  acquisition,"  repeated  Mrs  Bathurst  as  she 
departed.  '*  Mind  you  come  and  see  me,  Mr.  Pratt. 
Peggy  will  never  forgive  you  if  you  do  not."  A  foolish 
speech  which  sent  poor  Peggy  away  covered  with 
blushes.  But  then  Airs  Bathurst's  zeal  always  outran 
her  discretion. 

As  Mr  Pratt  stood  at  his  door  waving  a  hearty 
good-bye  to  his  guests,  he  saw  that  Hale  was  beside 
Leo  and  overheard  a  remark.  "  Come  and  see  me  in 
three  days,  Leo,"  the  baronet  was  saying.  "  I  want 
to  speak  to  you  most  particularly." 

"  Most  particularly,"  echoed  Pratt,  thoughtfully. 
*'  Humph !    What's  up  now  ?  " 


CHAPTER   V 

love's   young   dream 

The  Colester  folk  were  certainly  pleased  that  Mr 
Pratt  had  adorned  their  beloved  chapel  with  so  mag- 
nificent a  gift.  They  unbent  so  far  as  to  smile  when 
they  curtsied  or  touched  their  hats,  but  did  not  take 
him  to  their  bosoms.  However,  Pratt  saw  that  he  had 
made  a  step  forward  in  their  affections,  and  professed 
himself  well  pleased.  "  Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day," 
said  he,  philosophically. 

Mr  Tempest  installed  the  cup  on  the  altar,  where 
it  glittered  in  front  of  the  crucifix.  It  was  an  object 
of  wonder  and  reverence  to  the  simple  villagers,  and 
the  vicar  himself  was  no  less  pleased.  Its  weight,  the 
beauty  of  the  workmanship,  and  the  splendour  of  the 
jewels,  filled  him  with  joy,  and  he  came  to  regard  the 
pagan  vessel — as  it  undoubtedly  was — as  a  kind  of 
Holy  Grail.  Having  made  some  such  reference  to  it, 
the  sexton  Baker,  an  inquisitive  octogenarian,  wanted 
to  know  what  the  Holy  Grail  was.  Forthwith  Mr  Tem- 
pest prepared  a  lecture,  compounded  of  Mallory's  prose 
work  and  Tennyson's  poetical  interpretation.  This 
he  delivered  in  the  village  schoolroom,  and  had  the 
sacred  cup  placed  on  the  table  before  him,  so  that  his 
hearers  might  have  the  significance  of  the  gift  borne 


Love's  Young  Dream  59 

home  to  them.  Pearl  heard  the  lecture,  and  so  much 
of  it  as  her  poor  wits  took  in  led  her  to  look  upon  the 
cup  as  the  very'  vessel  itself  mentioned  in  the  poem., 
To  Pearl  the  Pagan  cup,  as  Frank  Hale  called  it,  was 
the  veritable  vessel  from  which  the  Master  had  drunk 
at  that  last  sad  feast.  And  no  argument  could  shake 
this  belief  when  she  once  got  it  into  her  head. 

"  So  ridiculous,"  said  Airs  Jeal,  sniffing.  "  I  dare- 
say Mr  Pratt  bought  it  in  London.  He  is  clever  at  in- 
venting stories,"  whereupon  Pearl  flew  into  such  a 
rage  that  the  elder  woman  never  ventured  to  hint  a 
doubt  of  the  cup.  In  her  own  queer  way,  and  that  was 
none  of  the  most  righteous,  Mrs  Jeal  was  fond  of 
Pearl.  It  is  true  that  she  regarded  her  as  a  half-baked 
natural,  but  she  would  never  let  an3'one  but  herself 
say  so.  Mrs  Jeal  was  superstitious,  and  kept  Pearl 
in  her  humble  cottage  as  a  kind  of  talisman  against 
evil.  Probably  she  felt  it  necessary  for  her  to  have 
some  pure  and  innocent  thing  beside  her.  The  Coles- 
ter  people  never  thought  of  this.  They  regarded  Mrs 
Jeal  as  a  hard-working,  honest  woman.  She  was  cer- 
tainly all  that,  and  more.  What  the  "  more "  was 
Mrs  Jeal  never  explained.  She  was  well  able  to  hold 
her  tongue. 

Aleanwhile  the  cup  stood  on  the  altar,  and  Pearl 
frequently  stared  at  it  on  her  knees,  dreaming  Heaven 
knows  what  dreams,  as  its  beauty  flashed  in  the  sun- 
light. She  attended  to  her  duties  as  usual,  and  the 
vicar  had  no  reason  to  complain  that  the  decking  of  the 
altar  suffered.  But  the  insane  girl  passed  hours  before 
the  cup,  drinking  in  its  lovely  colour  and  beauty  of 


6o  The  Pagan's  Cup 

form.  It  was  to  her  a  kind  of  fetish,  and  she  resented 
it  being  touched  even  when  Mr  Tempest  used  it  for 
the  purpose  for  which  it  had  been  presented.  Pratt, 
hearing  this,  laughed,  and  was  a  httle  touched.  He 
was  sorry  for  the  girl,  and  pleased  that  he  had  been 
the  means  of  introducing  a  new  element  of  beauty  into 
her  life. 

One  day  while  Pearl  was  on  her  knees  with  clasped 
hands,  Sybil  entered  the  chapel.  She  had  come  here 
to  meet  Leo,  for  owing  to  the  vigilance  of  Mrs  Gabriel, 
a  meeting  was  not  easily  arranged.  Whenever  Leo 
and  Sybil  were  together,  they  would  be  joined  by  Mrs 
Gabriel,  by  Frank  Hale  or  by  Edith.  It  was  no  use 
resenting  this  addition  to  the  company,  for  the  incon- 
venient third  would  never  take  the  hint.  Consequently 
Leo  met  Sybil  by  stealth,  and  as  those  who  interfered 
rarely  came  to  the  chapel  save  on  Sunday,  it  was  the 
chapel  they  chose  for  their  meeting-place.  Certainly 
Pearl  was  always  haunting  the  shrine,  but  she  gave 
them  no  trouble. 

Although  the  day  was  warm.  Pearl  had  draped  a 
shawl  of  white  Chinese  crape  over  her  shoulders.  This 
was  a  present  from  Mrs  Jeal,  who  had  many  such 
beautiful  things,  although  she  would  never  say  how 
she  came  by  them.  The  girl  still  wore  her  favourite 
green  dress  and  the  straw  hat,  which  had  a  fresh 
wreath  of  oak  leaves  round  it.  Every  day  the  wreath 
was  renewed,  and  some  significance  was  attached  to  it 
by  the  wearer  which  was  not  understood  by  her  friends. 
,With  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  cup,  and  her  hands  clasped 


Love's  Young  Dream  6i 

on  her  knee,  she  knelt  on  the  lower  step  of  the  altar 
with  a  wrapt  expression  and  moving  lips. 

"  And  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city  were 
garnished  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones,"  she 
murmured,  and  w^ent  on  with  the  verse  enumerating 
the  gems.  Pearl  knew  much  of  the  Bible  by  heart,  and 
frequently  recited  long  passages  to  herself.  But,  like 
a  parrot,  she  could  never  be  got  to  speak  when  she 
was  wanted,  and  few  knew  the  extent  of  her  knowl- 
edge. Sybil  overheard  the  words,  and  guessed  that  the 
poor  creature  applied  them  to  the  cup. 

A  strong  ray  of  sunlight  streamed  in  through  a 
small  plain  glass  window  in  the  chancel.  It  struck 
with  a  golden  glory  on  the  altar,  and  in  its  burning 
light  the  cup  flashed  with  many  hues.  The  gems 
with  which  it  was  adorned  shot  sparks  of  rainbow 
fire — the  green  or  the  emerald,  the  fiery  red  of  the 
ruby,  the  amethyst,  purple  in  colour  as  a  ripe  grape, 
and  above  all  the  fierce  flash  of  a  diamond  that  was 
in  front  of  the  vessel  immediately  above  the  Latin  in- 
scription. Sybil  did  not  wonder  that  Pearl  had  a  pas- 
sion for  the  cup.  It  looked  a  singularly  beautiful  ob- 
ject glowing  in  the  splendour  of  the  sunlight,  and 
might  well  have  been  the  Holy  Grail,  as  Pearl  thought 
it  was. 

"  What  is  it,  Pearl  ?  "  she  asked,  drawing  near,  but 
speaking  low  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  girl.  For  Pearl 
was  like  a  wild  animal,  and  shrank  away  even  at  the 
slightest  sound.  And  even  as  she  spoke  the  sunlight 
passed  away. 

"  It  is  gone,  gone !  "  cried  Pearl,  rising  with  a  wild 


62  The  Pagan's  Cup 

look.  "  The  Master  has  withdrawn  His  presence.  I 
would  that  I  could  take  it  out  where  His  sun  would 
ever  shine.    Did  you  see  the  angels,  Miss  Sybil?  " 

"What  angels,  Pearl?" 

"  In  the  beam  of  the  Master's  glory.  They  ascended 
and  descended  like  the  angels  of  Jacob's  dream.  From 
the  holy  cup  a  shining  pathway  went  up  to  heaven, 
and  now  it  is  gone." 

"  The  shining  pathway  will  be  there  again  at  this 
same  hour  to-morrow,"  said  Sybil,  comforting  the  girl. 

"But  it  endures  only  for  a  little  while,"  sighed 
Pearl.  "  Oh,  why  doesn't  the  Master  take  His  cup 
into  the  bright  sunshine  where  it  could  grow  warm 
and  rejoice  in  the  glory  of  day?  And  the  sun  would 
make  it  glitter  like  a  thousand  fires,  nor  would  the 
moon  withhold  her  light." 

"  It  is  better  here  in  this  sacred  place.  Pearl." 

"  The  roof  shuts  out  the  light.  Miss  Sybil."  And  the 
girl  looked  at  the  great  cup,  now  dull  and  colourless 
like  a  dead  thing.  "  Only  in  the  sunshines  does  the 
Master  put  out  His  hand  to  grasp  His  cup." 

"  It  is  not  the  real  cup,  Pearl,"  said  Sybil, 
incautiously. 

"  How  dare  you  say  so  ?  "  shrieked  the  girl,  tearing 
herself  away  from  Sybil's  grasp.  "  The  vicar  said  it 
was  the  cup  of  the  Master.  I  doubt  you  are  one  of 
the  evil  things  its  presence  makes  to  fear,"  and  with  an 
indignant  look  Pearl  moved  swiftly  down  the  aisle, 
murmuring  as  she  went.  At  the  door  she  broke  into  a 
jubilant  chant,  and  Sybil  gathered  that  she  was  re- 


Love's  Young  Dream  63 

calling  some  lines  of  Tennyson  which  the  vicar  had 
repeated  in  his  lecture : — 

"  Oh,  yet  methought  I  saw  the  Holy  Grail, 
All  palled  in  crimson  samite,  and  around 
Great  angels,  awful  shapes,  and  wings  and  eyes." 

Half  singing,  half  reciting,  she  passed  out  of  the 
door  and  brushed  by  Leo,  who  entered  at  the  moment. 
Like  a  shadow  she  faded  out  of  the  church,  and  left 
him  staring  after  her.  But  high  and  sweet  in  the  dis- 
tance rose  her  voice,  singing  like  a  lark. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  her  now  ?  "  asked  Leo  as 
Sybil  met  him. 

"  Nothing  much.  She  has  a  belief  that  yonder  cup 
is  the  veritable  Holy  Grail,  and  when  I  suggested  that 
it  was  not  she  grew  angry.  But  what  a  memory  she 
has !  "  added  Sybil,  linking  her  arm  within  that  of 
Leo.  "  Did  you  hear  her  recite  Tennyson's  lines  ? 
Well,  she  only  heard  them  once  before." 

"  I  daresay.  But  she  cannot  read,  and  those  who 
can't  read  have  always  a  marvellous  memory.  But  the 
wonder  to  me  is  that  her  poor,  cracked  brain  can  hold 
anything.  I  know  she's  mad  about  the  Grail,  as  she 
called  that  cup.  i\Irs  Jeal  told  me  that  Pearl  expects 
the  cup  will  some  day  be  snatched  up  to  heaven  to  be 
used  there.    Poor  soul!  " 

"  It  is  a  sweet  belief,  though."  murmured  Sybil ; 
then,  after  a  pause,  she  drew  Leo  into  the  side  chapel 
where  the  crusaders  were  set  stiffly  on  their  tombs. 
"  We  are  safe  here,  Leo.    No  one  will  come.    Sit  down 


64  The  Pagan's  Cup 

beside  this  pillar  and  let  us  talk.  We  have  much  to 
say  to  one  another." 

"  And  nothing  very  pleasant,"  sighed  Leo,  as  he 
sat  down,  and  slipped  his  arm  round  the  girl's  waist. 
"  Oh,  Sybil,  how  foolish  I  have  been  getting  into  debt 
and  quarrelling  with  Mrs  Gabriel !  It  will  end  with 
my  going  away  to  the  war.  Indeed,  I  intended  to  have 
gone  this  week,  only  I  could  not  leave  you,  and 
besides — "     Here  Leo  hesitated. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  she  asked,  noticing  that  he  looked 
nervous. 

"  There  is  a  chance  of  my  debts  being  paid." 

"Mrs  Gabriel?" 

"  No,  indeed.  At  first  she  said  she  would  pay.  Now 
she  has  changed  her  mind.  But  Hale  has  offered  to 
lend  me  the  money." 

Sybil  looked  anxious.  "  I  don't  like  that,"  she  said 
decidedly.    "  It  is  not  like  him  to  be  so  generous." 

"  My  dear,"  said  Leo,  taking  her  hand,  "  you  are 
too  hard  upon  poor  Frank.  I  have  known  him  now 
for  many  years,  and  it  is  reasonable  enough  that  he 
should  be  willing  to  help  an  old  playfellow." 

"  It  is  not  like  him,"  insisted  Miss  Tempest.  "  I 
hope  he  is  not  laying  a  trap  for  you,  Leo.  He  is 
spiteful  enough  to  do  that." 

"  And  when  he  has  caught  me  in  his  trap,  Sybil  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head.  "  It  is  easy  laughing,  but 
I  don't  like  your  accepting  a  favour  from  that 
cross-grained  little  man." 

"  You  are  uncharitable,  my  dear." 

"  I  don't  want  to  be.     I  am  sure  I  am  sorry  poor 


Love's  Young  Dream  65 

Sir  Frank  is  so  afflicted,  but  I  really  wish  he  had  a 
sweeter  nature.  Besides,"  her  eyes  fell  and  she  be- 
gan to  play  with  a  button  on  Leo's  coat,  "  he  is — I 
think — too  fond  of  me.'' 

"  Can  anyone  be  too  fond  of  you  ?  "  asked  Haver- 
leigh,  not  taking  in  the  real  significance  of  this  remark. 

"  You  do  not  understand,  Leo.  I  mean  that  I  think 
he  intends  to  ask  me  to  be  his  wife.  Now  don't  be 
angry,  for  I  am  not  sure  if  he  will.  It  is  only  a  kind 
of  instinct  I  have  that  such  is  his  intention." 

Haverleigh,  confident  in  his  good  looks  and  virile 
strength,  laughed  good-humouredly.  "  I  am  not 
angry,  my  dear.  The  idea  of  that  wretched  little 
creature  thinking  of  marriage !  " 

"  Who  is  uncharitable  now,  Mr.  Haverleigh  ?  " 

The  young  man  laughed.  "  Fairly  hit,"  he  said ; 
"■  but  really,  Sybil,  I  don't  think  you  need  trouble  about 
Hale.  No  man  of  his  build  and  weakness  would  in- 
sult a  woman  by  asking  her  hand  in  marriage.  He  is  a 
queer  little  creature,  but  for  all  his  cross-grained  tem- 
per his  heart  is  in  the  right  place.  I  am  sorry  for  him, 
and  I  feel  his  kindness  in  offering  to  help  me.  To  be 
sure  he  is  well  off,  but  the  kindness  is  all  the  same." 

"And  what  about  his  sister?  She  is  in  love  with 
you." 

"  So  Mrs  Gabriel  says,"  responded  Leo,  coolly. 
"  But  that  is  all  nonsense — much  the  same  as  your 
suspicions  of  Hale.  Why,  the  girl  never  opens  her 
mouth  to  me ;  she  only  looks  and  looks. 

"  With  her  soul  in  her  eyes !  " 


66  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  It  must  be  a  dull  soul  then,  for  I  see  no  gleam  in 
those  eyes  of  hers." 

"  You  are  most  unsuspicious,  Leo,"  said  Sybil  at 
length.  "I  have  a  kind  of  feeling  that  we  are  on  the 
eve  of  some  trouble.  Have  you  noticed  that  until  we 
found  out  this  quiet  spot  Mrs  Gabriel  or  Sir  Frank 
and  his  sister  always  joined  us?" 

"  I  noticed  that,  but  it  meant  nothing."  Leo  paused 
and  then  continued,  "  I  know  that  my  mother  wants 
me  to  marry  Edith,  but  I  told  her  plainly  that  I  would 
not,  and  she  has  agreed  to  let  me  have  my  own  way." 

"  That  is  not  like  her,"  said  Sybil,  after  a  pause. 
"  She  always  wants  to  have  her  own  way." 

"  I  think  she  is  beginning  to  find  me  one  too  many 
for  her,  my  love.  It  is  this  way,  Sybil.  I  told  her  that 
if  she  went  on  treating  me  so  badly  I  vvould  enlist. 
That  frightened  her,  and  she  has  been  kinder  since." 

"  I  don't  trust  her,  no  more  than  I  do  Sir  Frank. 
Are  you  going  to  take  this  money  ?  " 

"  As  a  loan  I  am,  but  I  hope  to  pay  it  back." 

"  How  are  you  going  to  manage  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Pratt  has  promised  to  make  it  right  with  my 
mother.  He  has  a  wonderful  influence  with  her.  You 
know  he  has  been  her  friend  for  years,  and  she  has 
great  reliance  on  his  judgment.  I  told  him  all  my 
trouble,  and  he  has  promised  to  help  me.  It  is  not  the 
first  time  he  has  done  so,  Sybil.  Several  times  last  year 
he  lent  me  money." 

"  I  know  he  is  a  kind  man,"  said  Sybil ;  "  but,  Leo, 
I  do  wish  you — " 

He  stopped  her  mouth  with  a  kiss.    "  I  know  what 


Love's  Young  Dream  67 

you  are  going  to  say,"  was  his  half-laughing,  half- 
serious  remark,  "  and,  indeed,  my  love,  I  am  not 
worthy  of  you.  But  now  I  am  a  man,  and  I  intend  to 
put  away  all  childish  things — by  which  I  mean  the 
follies  of  youth.  I  have  done  nothing  very  wrong, 
Sybil.  Indeed,  my  wickedness  has  been  of  the  mildest 
description.  I  understood  Mrs  Gabriel  to  say  that  I 
was  her  heir,  and  so  I  thought  I  had  a  right  to  spend 
money.  I  overstepped  the  mark,  and  I  own  my  fault. 
I  should  have  been  more  sensible,  but,  indeed,  Sybil,  it 
is  difficult  for  a  man  brought  up  in  luxury  to  know 
when  to  stop.  If  my  home  had  only  been  made  more 
attractive  to  me,  I  should  never  have  behaved  so  fool- 
ishly. But  that  page  of  my  life  is  turned  down  now. 
It  will  close  with  the  payment  of  this  three  hundred 
pounds,  and  henceforth  I  shall  try  and  deserve  your 
love." 

"  That  is  right,  darling.  But  don't  you  think  it 
would  be  better  to  get  Mr  Pratt  to  see  your  mother  and 
induce  her  to  give  you  the  money  than  take  it  from 
Sir  Frank?" 

"  No,  my  dear,"  said  Leo,  decidedly ;  "  if  my  mother 
thinks  that  I  am  able  to  pay  the  money  myself,  she  will 
be  afread  lest  she  will  lose  me  altogether  and  be  more 
amenable  to  reason.  I  have  arranged  it  all  with  Pratt. 
Hale  is  to  lend  me  the  money  next  week,  I  pay  my 
debts.    Then  I  shall  get  him  to  speak  to  Mrs  Gabriel." 

"  Does  Mr  Pratt  know  that  Sir  Frank  proposes  to 
lend  you  the  money?  " 

"  No ;  I  did  not  tell  him  that  at  Frank's  special  re- 
quest.    I  merely  said  that  I  would  put  ofT  paying  the 


68  The  Pagan's  Cup 

matter  for  a  month.  In  the  meantime  he  will  speak 
to  my  mother." 

"  It  seems  all  wrong,"  said  Sybil,  with  a  sigh.  "  I 
can't  help  thinking  that  you  are  behaving  foolishly." 

"  I  hope  not,  Sybil.  But  I  must  manage  Mrs  Ga- 
briel somehow.  I  cannot  have  her  treating  me  so 
badly.  Sometimes  she  really  seems  to  hate  me.  When 
my  debts  are  paid  I  shall  look  about  and  see  what  I 
can  do  to  earn  my  own  living.  I  am  half  inclined  to 
enlist  in  the  Yeomanry." 

*'Leo!  Leo!  Don't  do  that!"  Sybil  seized  his 
arm.     "  I  should  lose  you." 

"  My  dear,  it  is  the  only  thing  I  am  fit  for.  My 
mother  would  not  let  me  have  a  profession,  and  I  am 
not  clever  enough  to  make  money.  I  should  have  gone 
into  the  army  long  ago.  Indeed,  it  was  my  wish,  only 
Mrs  Gabriel  would  not  consent.  I  think  my  father 
must  have  come  of  a  fighting  stock,  Sybil,  as  I  feel 
so  inclined  to  be  a  soldier." 

"  The  Haverleighs  were  always  simple  country 
squires,  Leo.  I  have  heard  my  father  speak  of  them 
often.    There  were  no  soldiers  amongst  them !  " 

"  Then  I  don't  know  where  my  aunt  got  her  fierce- 
ness. By  the  way,  Sybil,  don't  you  get  mixed  by  the 
many  different  ways  I  refer  to  that  lady;  I  call  her 
my  mother,  my  aunt,  and  very  often  Mrs  Gabriel." 

"  I  think  the  last  name  suits  her  best,"  said  Sybil, 
"  she  is  such  a  hard  woman.  Still,  she  has  been  kind 
to  you,  Leo." 

"  I  don't  quite  agree  with  you  there,"  he  answered 
a  trifle  bitterly.    "If  she  took  me  in,  she  has  made  me 


Love's  Young  Dream  69 

feel  my  position.  No,  Sybil,  I  hope  in  some  way  to 
make  a  position  for  myself.  Then  Mrs  Gabriel  may 
be  proud  of  me.  At  present  I  am  only  an  object  of 
her  charity.     Let  me  go  for  a  soldier,  my  darling." 

"  You  must  wait  for  a  time,  Leo,"  entreated  Sybil. 
"  If  you  are  really  bent  upon  enlisting,  I  shall  not 
try  and  dissuade  you.  But,  oh !  how  unhappy  I  shall 
be  when  you  are  in  South  Africa !  " 

"  Come,  come,  you  will  never  do  for  a  soldier's 
wife.  Is  it  not  better  for  me  to  be  fighting  for  my 
country  than  staying  here  eating  the  bread  of  idle- 
ness? I  am  sure  you  would  be  prouder  of  me  dead 
on  the  battlefield  than  to  see  me  a  hanger-on  here." 

"  Yes,"  said  Sybil  bravely,  "  I  should." 

"  In  that  case  I  shall  enlist."  And  after  taking  her 
in  his  arms,  he  kissed  her  tenderly.  "  I  shall  be  here 
for  another  week.    Let  us  make  the  best  of  our  time." 

Hand  in  hand  they  passed  from  the  chapel,  but  at 
the  door  they  suddenly  separated.  Mrs  Gabriel  was 
coming  up  the  steps,  and  cast  a  cold  smile  at  the 
pair,  "  I  want  to  see  you,  Leo,  when  you  can  spare  the 
time,"  she  said. 

"  I  will  come  with  you  now,"  said  Haverleigh. 
"And  you,  Sybil?" 

"  I  want  to  find  Pearl  Darry,"  said  Miss  Tempest ; 
"  she  is  offended  with  me,  and  I  must  make  my  peace 
with  her.     Good-day,  Mrs  Gabriel !  " 

"  Good-day ! "  said  Mrs  Gabriel  in  her  stiffest 
manner.  Then,  as  Leo  walked  down  the  road  beside 
her,  back  to  the  castle,  she  added,  "  I  understand  that 
you  are  engaged,  Leo,  and  without  my  consent  ?  " 


70  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  I  am  sorry  you  should  be  vexed,"  he  said  formally ; 
"  but  I  camiot  sacrifice  my  life's  happiness  even  for 
you." 

"  Bless  the  boy!  I  don't  want  you  to  do  that,"  said 
Mrs  Gabriel,  sharply.    "And  about  this  enlisting?  " 

"  I  intend  to  enhst." 

Mrs  Gabriel  drew  a  long  breath,  and  walked  on  in 
silence  for  a  few  moments.  "  Well,"  she  said  at 
length,  "  I  think  it  is  about  the  best  thing  you  could 
do.     Your  debts  ?  " 

"  I  shall  see  that  they  are  paid,"  said  Leo,  calmly. 

"  Oh,  indeed !    And  where  will  you  get  the  money  ?  " 

"  From  a  friend." 

Mrs  Gabriel  again  became  silent.  "  I  don't  think 
you  are  treating  me  altogether  fairly,  Leo." 

"  I  am  willing  to  do  whatever  you  think  best, 
mother.  But  I  am  ashamed  to  live  on  your  charity  any 
longer.  However,  I  promise  you  one  thing.  I  shall 
not  enlist  for  at  least  a  month." 

Mrs  Gabriel  laughed  silently.  Many  things  might 
happen  in  a  month. 


CHAPTER   VI 


TROUBLE 


Still  anxious  to  secure  Air  Pratt  for  a  son-in-law, 
]\Irs  Bathurst  resolved  to  make  some  return  to  his 
hospitality.  Her  husband  had  very  little  money,  and 
the  lady  was  unable  to  give  a  dinner-party  on  ac- 
count of  the  cost.  Also  Pratt  had  '"  done  things  so 
well  " — so  she  put  it — that  she  was  unwilling  to  pro- 
voke comparisons.  Nevertheless,  some  sort  of  enter- 
tainment had  to  be  given,  and  after  much  reflection 
and  many  consultations  with  Pegg}^,  it  was  decided 
that  it  should  take  the  form  of  a  picnic.  The  scenery 
around  Colester  was  beautiful,  the  weather  was  fine, 
and  the  cost  of  an  open-air  entertainment  would  be 
comparatively  small.  Airs  Bathurst  therefore  issued 
cards. 

"  We  must  make  Air  Pratt  one  of  ourselves,"  said 
the  energetic  lady ;  "  and  although  we  cannot  hope  to 
vie  with  his  luxury,  we  can  at  least  bestow  what  we 
have  with  liberal  hearts." 

What  Airs  Bathurst  had  in  the  way  of  food  was 
principally  sandwiches — the  cheapest  form  of  nourish- 
ment she  could  think  of.  As  she  had  decided  that  the 
picnic  should  take  place  on  the  moor,  where  there  were 
no  roads,  it  was  not  necessar}^  to  hire  vehicles  to  con- 
vey the  party  to  the  scene  of  revelry.    "  A  good  brisk 


72  The  Pagan's  Cup 

walk  will  give  everyone  an  appetite,"  said  the  hostess, 
"  and  the  air  will  do  us  all  good."  Thus  it  came  about 
that  all  those  who  had  partaken  of  Pratt's  hospitality 
found  themselves  the  guests  of  Mrs  Bathurst.  Her 
husband,  who  characterised  the  picnic  as  foolery,  was 
not  present. 

By  a  dexterous  arrangement  the  good  lady  con- 
trived that  Peggy  should  find  herself  in  the  company 
of  Pratt.  The  little  man  was  as  neat  and  dapper  as 
ever,  and  as  Peggy  strolled  beside  him  over  the 
heather,  she  could  not  but  admit  that  he  was  a  pleasant 
companion.  The  principal  meal  of  the  day  had  been 
devoured,  and  Mrs  Bathurst's  guests  had  been  sent 
hungry  away.  Tea  and  a  limited  quantity  of  sand- 
wiches were  scarcely  sufficient  for  appetites  sharpened 
by  the  keen  moorland  air.  However,  there  was  noth- 
ing else;  and  now  the  company,  split  up  into  small 
parties,  wandered  here,  there  and  everywhere.  Peggy 
was  with  Pratt.  He  saw  how  Mrs  Bathurst  had 
manoeuvred  to  bring  this  about,  and  resolved  to  make 
use  of  the  opportunity  in  a  way  of  which  the  schemer 
would  not  approve. 

"  Most  beautiful  place  this,  Miss  Peggy,"  said  Pratt, 
glancing  round,  "  but  I  fear  the  company  is  not  to 
your  mind." 

"  Oh !  Mr  Pratt,  how  can  you  say  that !  "  said  poor 
Peggy,  divided  between  a  desire  to  keep  him  at  a 
distance  and  to  avoid  giving  offence  to  her  mother. 
"  I  am  very  pleased  to  be  with  you." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,  Miss  Peggy.  I  am  not  a 
parson,  you  know." 


Trouble  73 

Peggy  laughed  and  blushed.  Her  secret  was  every- 
body's property,  and  it  was  well  known  in  Colester 
that  she  and  Raston  were  attached  to  one  another. 
Even  Mrs  Bathurst  knew,  but  she  was  resolved  to 
crush  this  affection  before  it  grew  too  strong  for  her 
control.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  had  already  passed 
that  stage,  but  Airs  Bathurst  was  not  aware  of  that. 
"  Mr  Raston  is  quite  happy  with  Aliss  Hale,"  said 
Peggy,  frankly.  She  found  Pratt  sympathetic  and 
did  not  mind  speaking  freely  to  him. 

'*  And  I  think  Miss  Hale  would  rather  be  with 
young  Plaverleigh,"  said  her  companion,  '''but  he  is 
with  Miss  Tempest." 

"'  And  with  Sir  Frank  Hale." 

"  Who  is  the  inconvenient  third,  Miss  Peggy  ?  We 
are  all  at  sixes  and  sevens,  I  fancy.  Even  j\Irs  Gabriel 
and  the  vicar  are  badly  matched.  However,  in  a  little 
time  I  shall  ask  Mr  Raston  to  join  us." 

"  Not  on  my  account,"  cried  Miss  Bathurst,  hastily. 

"  I  understand,  your  mother  would  not  be  pleased." 

"Air  Pratt!"  Peggy  bit  her  lip.  "Really,  Mr 
Pratt !  " 

"  My  dear  young  lady,"  said  Pratt,  with  a  twinkle, 
"  do  you  think  that  I  flatter  myself  that  a  battered 
old  man  like  myself  is  your  choice?  No,  indeed;  al- 
though your  mother  would  have  it  so.  Like  draws  to 
like,  and  if  I  can  bring  it  about  you  shall  be  Mrs 
Raston." 

"  No  chance  of  that,"  sighed  Peggy.  "  Air  Raston 
is  too  poor !  " 

"  Oh,  no.    He  has  three  hundred  a  year  of  his  own, 


74  The  Pagan's  Cup 

and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  when  Mr  Tempest 
dies,  Mrs  Gabriel  will  give  him  the  living.  Then  why 
won't  your  mother  consent  ?  " 

"  She  was  not  opposed  to  my  engagement  until — 
until — "     Peggy  hesitated. 

"  Until  I  arrived,"  finished  Pratt.  "  Set  your  mind 
at  rest.  Miss  Peggy;  I  am  not  a  marrying  man;  I 
have  seen  too  much  of  the  world." 

Peggy  laughed  and  looked  at  him.  His  pleasant 
face  was  turned  towards  her,  and  she  saw  on  his 
cheek  a  mark  she  had  never  noticed  before.  It  was 
a  tattooed  star,  very  small  and  placed  just  under  the 
jawbone.  Unless  looked  for  very  closely  it  was  apt 
to  escape  notice.  But  there  it  was,  and  being  so  close 
to  the  man,  Peggy  saw  it  very  plainly.  Perhaps  she 
saw  it  the  more  clearly  because  Pratt  held  his  head 
at  a  particular  angle.  He  noticed  the  curiosity  in 
her  eyes,  and  flushed  a  trifle.  He  knew  what  she  was 
looking  at.  "  I  had  that  done  in  the  South  Seas,"  said 
Pratt,  rubbing  the  star ;  "  foolish  thing  to  have  had 
done,  but  I  was  a  reckless  young  sailor  then.  And 
see  here,  Miss  Peggy,"  he  rolled  up  his  sleeve,  that 
of  the  left  arm.  Immediately  below  the  elbow  there 
was  a  beautifully  tattooed  snake,  half  red  and  half 
blue.    "  That  was  done  in  Japan,"  he  said. 

"  You  seem  to  have  been  everywhere,  Mr  Pratt  ?  " 

"  I  have.  That  is  why  I  have  come  down  here  to 
end  my  days  in  peace.  I  want  everybody  hereabouts 
to  like  me — you  included,  Miss  Peggy." 

"  I  do  like  you,  Mr  Pratt,"  protested  Peggy.  "  Not, 
of  course,  like — " 


Trouble  75 

"  I  understand.  Well,  I  shall  speak  to  your  mother 
about  Air  Raston.  Oh,  do  not  look  so  afraid,  Miss 
P^&§^y-  I  know  very  well  what  I  am  about.  I  have 
managed  much  more  obstinate  people  in  my  time.  All 
you  have  to  do  is  to  look  pleased  as  though  you  were 
delighted  with  me.  That  will  put  your  mother  on  the 
wrong  scent." 

'*'  Harold  will  not  like  it,"  objected  Peggy-,  as  they 
returned  to  join  the  others.     "  Harold  is  ]\Ir  Raston." 

"  I  gathered  that  from  your  blush,"  said  Pratt,  with 
a  chuckle.  "  Well,  leave  it  to  me.  There  is  Harold 
making  signals.     What  is  up  now  ?  " 

Airs  Eathurst  informed  them  as  soon  as  they  came 
within  earshot.  "  Come  here  at  once,  Peggy,"  she 
screamed.  "Air  Pratt,  come  here!  Air  Raston  is 
about  to  take  a  group  with  his  kodak.  It  will  be  a 
memorial  of  my  picnic." 

The  American  did  not  seem  pleased.  For  the  mo- 
ment his  usually  active  tongue  was  silent,  and  he 
seemed  unwilling  to  form  part  of  the  group.  "  I  do 
not  care  about  having  my  likeness  taken.  Airs 
Bathurst,"  he  said. 

"  But  indeed  you  must — in  the  group,"  said  the  lady, 
vigorously ;  "  dear  Air  Pratt,  do  not  spoil  the  little 
memorial  of  my  picnic." 

"  It  can  be  taken  without  me.  Airs  Bathurst." 

"  That  would  be  the  play  of  Hamlet  with  the  Prince 
left  out,"  replied  the  lady,  gracefully.  "  Airs  Gabriel, 
add  3'our  entreaties." 

"  Oh !     Air  Pratt  will  not  listen  to  me,"  said  Airs 


76  The  Pagan's  Cup 

Gabriel,  severely,  "  I  know  him  of  old.  He  can  be 
obstinate  when  he  choses." 

Pratt  laughed  but  gave  her  a  sly  look  which  made 
her  wince.  Strong  woman  as  she  was,  there  was 
something  about  this  artless,  good-natured  little  man 
which  made  her  turn  white  and  draw  her  breath 
in  quick  gasps.  "  I  consent  to  be  taken,"  said  Pratt, 
withdrawing  his  gaze,  "  if  I  am  permitted  to  arrange 
the  group  myself." 

"  Certainly,"  said  Raston,  brightly.  He  had  been 
exchanging  a  few  words  with  Peggy.  "  Arrange  it 
as  you  please." 

Leo,  who  had  Hale  at  his  elbow,  ranged  alongside 
the  American.  "  You  know  where  to  place  me,"  he 
said  softly,  and  Pratt  nodded.  It  was  mainly  for  that 
reason  that  he  wished  to  arrange  the  group. 

The  result  of  his  efforts  was  that  Leo  and  Sybil  were 
together,  much  to  the  wrath  of  the  baronet  and  Mrs 
Gabriel.  The  others  Pratt  scattered  anyhow,  and 
placed  himself  at  the  back.  Raston  did  not  approve 
of  this. 

"  You  can  hardly  be  seen,  Mr  Pratt,"  he  said. 
"  Please  come  more  forward." 

Pratt  hesitated,  but,  catching  sight  of  a  cold  smile 
on  the  face  of  Mrs  Gabriel,  he  gave  her  a  defiant  look 
and  placed  himself  in  the  position  indicated  by  Mr 
Raston's  outstretched  finger.  Then  the  curate  ad- 
justed his  kodak  and  took  three  pictures.  He  also  had 
to  take  a  fourth,  as  Mrs  Bathurst  wanted  herself  to 
be  seen  making  tea,  surrounded  by  her  guests.  "  To 
recall  a  happy,  happy  day,"  she  explained. 


Trouble  "^^ 

"  You  are  fond  of  photography,  Raston  ? "  said 
Pratt,  when  this  was  over. 

"  Very.     I  have  taken  pictures  all  round  the  place." 

"  And  the  other  day  he  took  a  picture  of  the  cup 
you  gave,"  put  in  Sybil. 

"  I  guess  that's  kind  of  him,"  said  Pratt,  gnawing 
his  lip.  "  I  suppose,"  he  was  addressing  Raston,  "  that 
you  send  copies  of  these  to  your  friends  ?  " 

''  Indeed  I  do  not,"  replied  the  curate,  cheerily,  "  I 
take  only  a  few  copies  and  place  them  in  an  album. 
Certainly  I  have  given  a  few  to  ]\Iiss  Bathurst." 

"  Natural,  very  natural,"  said  Pratt,  gravely ;  "  you 
must  give  me  one  of  the  group  you  took  just  now." 
And  without  waiting  for  an  answer  he  turned  away. 
Somehow  he  seemed  relieved  to  hear  that  the  photo- 
graphs were  not  likely  to  be  sent  round  the  country. 
And  all  the  time  Mrs  Gabriel,  who  had  listened  to 
this  conversation,  heard  it  with  a  cold  smile.  She 
seemed  rather  pleased  that  Pratt  should  be  upset,  and 
upset  he  was,  a  remarkable  thing  in  so  calm  a  man. 

After  a  time  Leo  and  Sybil  slipped  away,  and  were 
some  distance  across  the  moor  before  their  absence 
was  noticed.  There  was  no  chance  of  following  them 
save  in  the  most  pointed  manner,  so  Sir  Frank,  with 
a  scowl,  devoted  himself  to  his  sister.  She  was  seated 
on  the  heather,  staring  after  Leo  with  a  despairing 
look.  Frank  patted  her  hand  kindly.  "  He  will  come 
back,  Edith,"  he  whispered. 

"  No,"  she  replied,  quietly,  "  he  will  never  come 
back.  Sybil  has  taken  him  away  for  ever.  Don't 
worry  about  me,  Frank." 


78  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Oh !  as  to  that,"  retorted  Frank,  savagely,  "  I  ap- 
prove of  that  no  more  than  you  do.  If  you  want  to 
marry  Leo,  I  wish  to  make  Sybil  my  wife." 

"  I  am  afraid  neither  of  us  will  get  our  wishes," 
said  Edith,  with  a  sigh. 

"We'll  see  about  that,"  muttered  Frank;  "at  ail 
costs  I'll  stop  that  marriage.  Sybil  must  become  my 
wife." 

Mrs  Gabriel  overheard  him.  "  Make  your  mind 
easy,  Frank,"  she  said,  "  I  can  put  an  end  to  this." 
She  cast  a  look  at  Pratt.  "  I  could  have  done  so  long 
ago  but  for — "     She  stopped. 

"  But  for  what,  Mrs  Gabriel  ?  " 

"  Nothing!  nothing!  "  she  said  hastily.  "A  matter 
which  does  not  concern  you,  Frank.  But  it  is  time 
to  adopt  strong  measures.  Mr  Tempest" — she  went 
to  the  vicar — "  come  for  a  stroll  with  me.  I  wish  to 
speak  to  you." 

"About  parish  matters?"  asked  the  vicar,  rather 
nervously,  for  he  knew  Mrs  Gabriel's  tongue  and 
temper.    "  Won't  you  speak  to  Raston  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  about  parish  matters,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel. 
"  It  is  concerning  your  daughter  and  Leo." 

Mr  Tempest  looked  up  sharply.  "  Indeed !  "  he 
said,  with  quite  a  new  note  in  his  voice.  "  Nothing 
wrong,  I  trust  ?  " 

"  I  shall  leave  you  to  judge  of  that,"  replied  Mrs 
Gabriel.  "  Come,  vicar !  "  and  she  carried  the  old  man 
away.     Hale  started  after  them  distrustfully. 

"What. does  she  intend  to  do  now?"  he  muttered. 


Trouble  79 

"  I  intend  to  take  my  own  way  in  this  matter,  and  I 
don't  trust  her.     Too  clever  by  half !  " 

Meantime  Leo  and  Sybil,  not  thinking  of  the  envy 
their  happiness  caused,  were  walking  slowly  along. 
Every  now  and  then  they  would  turn  and  look  at 
one  another  and  smile.  The  action  seemed  childish, 
but  those  who  are  deeply  in  love  are  often  nothing  but 
children.     Then  they  came  to  talk  of  their  future. 

"  When  are  you  going  away,  Leo?  "  asked  Sybil. 

"  I  go  to  Town  next  Monday,"  replied  Leo.  "  I 
start  at  seven  o'clock  for  Portfront,  and  there  take 
the  steamer  that  leaves  at  ten." 

"  And  the  money  for  your  debts  ?  " 

"  That  will  be  all  right.  Frank  has  promised  to 
give  it  me  this  week.  But  the  queer  part  is,  Sybil, 
that  he  will  not  give  me  a  cheque." 

"Why  not?"  she  asked,  stopping  abruptly. 

"  I  don't  know.  Some  whim  on  his  part.  He  in- 
tends that  I  shall  take  it  in  sovereigns — yes,  the  whole 
three  hundred  pounds !  There  is  a  treasure  to  travel 
with !  However,  I  shall  take  it  to  London  and  pay  it 
into  my  bank  there.  Then  I  can  settle  with  my 
creditors  by  cheque." 

"  Does  he  give  any  reason  why  he  wants  you  to 
take  it  in  gold  ?  " 

"No!  But  he  is  a  queer  chap,  although  a  kind 
one.  I  must  take  the  money  as  he  chooses  to  give  it. 
But  do  you  know,  Sybil,  I  believe  Hale  has  the  in- 
stincts of  a  miser,  and  likes  to  look  at  gold.  I  should 
not  be  surprised  if  he  had  a  chest  of  sovereigns  in  his 


8o  The  Pagan's  Cup 

house.  I  expect  that,  is  why  he  gives  me  specie 
instead  of  a  cheque  or  notes." 

"  I  don't  like  it  at  all,"  said  Sybil,  decisively. 

"  There  you  go  with  your  distrust !  "  said  Leo, 
good-humouredly.  ''  You  will  not  make  allowance  for 
the  queerness  of  poor  Frank.  Never  mind,  I  will  take 
the  money  as  he  chooses  to  give  it.  When  my 
creditors  are  paid  I  shall  see  about  enlisting." 

"  You  have  made  up  your  mind  to  that  ?  " 

"  Fully.  Mrs  Gabriel  understands  as  much.  And 
I  do  not  think,  Sybil,"  said  Leo,  bending  down,  "  that 
you  will  seek  to  dissuade  me." 

Sybil  paused  for  a  moment.  "  No,"  she  said  at 
length,  and  her  voice  was  firm.  "  it  is  a  good  thing 
for  you  to  take  up  the  burden  of  life,  Leo.  Even  if 
you  die  in  South  Africa  it  will  be  better  than  that  you 
should  live  on  the  charity  of  Mrs  Gabriel.  I  admire 
your  spirit." 

Leo  shook  his  head  sadly.  "  Don't  admire  anything 
about  me,  dear,"  he  said.  "  Long,  long  ago,  I  should 
have  earned  my  own  living.  I  have  been  a  fool  too 
long.  Eut  now,  Sybil,  I  intend  to  work  my  hardest 
for  you.  I  am  sure  to  get  my  commission,  as  there 
are  plenty  knocking  about;  and  when  I  return,  your 
father  will  consent  to  our  marriage,  and  Mrs  Gabriel 
will  forgive  me." 

"  I  don't  think  my  father  would  ever  object,  Leo," 
said  Sybil.  "  He  would  not  care  if  you  had  little 
money.  All  he  asks  from  anyone  who  marries  me  is 
that  they  come  of  a  good  stock.  He  has  much  family 
pride,  you  know." 


Trouble  8i 

"  Then  he  will  easily  be  satisfied  with  the  Haver- 
leighs.  They  have  been  established  in  the  place  down 
yonder  for  centuries.  I  did  not  know,  though,  that 
he  attached  much  value  to  pedigree,  Sybil." 

"  It  is  his  one  failing.  He  would  not  mind  if  I 
married  a  pauper,  so  long  as  my  future  husband  had 
good  blood  in  his  veins.  The  one  thing  he  would 
not  permit  would  be  that  I  should  marry  what  he 
calls  a  '  base-born '  man.  But,  of  course,  there  is  no 
danger  of  that." 

"  No ;  I  think  my  pedigree  will  satisfy  Mr  Tem- 
pest. But  it  is  strange  that  he  should  attach  such 
value  to  race." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  Sybil,  slowly.  "  I 
have  a  great  opinion  of  race  myself,  Leo.  But,  come," 
she  broke  off,  "  there  is  my  father  waving  to  me.  I 
wonder  what  he  wants.     To  go  home,  I  expect." 

Mr  Tempest  did,  indeed,  want  to  go  home,  and, 
moreover,  he  seemed  by  no  means  anxious  for  the 
company  of  Leo.  Quite  different  to  his  usual  self, 
he  was  stiff  and  cold  towards  the  young  man.  Mrs 
Gabriel  saw  this,  and  smiled.  Not  in  vain  had  she 
adopted  the  stronger  measures  of  which  she  had 
spoken  to  Sir  Frank.  However,  she  gave  Leo  no 
time  to  talk  to  the  vicar,  but  took  possession  of  him 
and  threw  him  into  the  company  of  Miss  Hale,  Leo 
was  obliged  to  talk  to  the  girl,  for,  although  she  bored 
him  greatly,  she  was  too  unoffending  a  creature  to 
hurt.  Frank  saw  how  dexterously  Mrs  Gabriel  had 
managed,  and  came  up  to  her.  "  What  have  you 
been  doing  ?  "  he  asked  in  a  low  voice. 


82  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Talking  Mr  Tempest  over  to  my  views  about 
this  marriage.  Set  your  mind  at  rest,  Frank.  Leo 
will  never  become  the  husband  of  Sybil  now." 

Sure  enough  matters  seemed  to  be  quite  in  Mrs 
Gabriel's  favour.  On  arriving  home  Mr  Tempest  had 
a  scene  with  his  daughter,  and  forbade  her  to  think 
axiyi  more  of  Leo.  "  Had  I  known  of  this  before,  it 
would  not  have  gone  so  far,"  said  the  vicar ;  "  but 
I  have  been  blind.  Fortunately,  Mrs  Gabriel  has 
opened  my  eyes.     It  must  stop !  " 

"  I  am  engaged  to  Leo  Haverleigh,"  said  Sybil, 
firmly. 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort !  "  retorted  the  vicar.  "  I 
won't  have  it,  I  tell  you.  I  do  not  consider  that  Leo 
is  a  fit  husband  for  you." 

"  And  what  is  your  reason,  father  ?  " 

"I  decline  to  give  it  you.  Later  on  I  may  do  so,  but 
not  now.  Please  do  not  argue,  Sybil.  I  won't  hear 
a  word.  You  are  neither  to  see  Leo  again  nor  are 
you  to  talk  to  him.     I  won't  have  it." 

"  But,  father—" 

"  That's  quite  enough,  Sybil.  Not  another  word." 
And,  as  the  girl  knew  of  the  rages  into  which  her 
father  was  capable  of  falling,  she  said  nothing  more 
at  the  time  lest  she  might  provoke  one.  But  this  sud- 
den change  of  front  on  the  part  of  her  easy-going 
father  bewildered  her. 

Leo  was  also  at  his  wits'  end  to  understand  the  new 
state  of  things.  From  the  day  of  the  picnic  he  never 
had  a  chance  of  seeing  Sybil  alone,  nor  was  he  asked, 
as  formerly,  to  the  Vicarage.    Mr  Tempest  was  cold- 


Trouble  83 

ness  itself  when  they  met,  and  appeared  to  wish  to 
see  as  Httle  of  him  as  possible.  Leo  asked  ]\Irs  Gabriel 
what  was  the  meaning  of  these  things,  but  could  get 
no  answer.  She  only  laughed  insultingly,  and  said 
that  Mr  Tempest  was  of  her  opinion  about  this  ridicu- 
lous marriage.  Leo  saw  Mr  Pratt,  and  consulted 
him. 

"  I  guess  you'd  better  leave  it  to  me,"  said  Pratt,  who 
was  on  the  side  of  the  lovers.  "  I'll  bring  Mrs  Gabriel 
to  reason." 

"  But  it  is  more  the  vicar  that  needs  bringing  to 
reason,"  argued  Leo.  "  He  has  changed  wholly 
towards  me." 

"  Perhaps  he  has  heard  of  your  debts,"  suggested 
Pratt,  pondering. 

"  What  if  he  had !  He  knows  that  I  am  not  so 
wild  as  everyone  tries  to  make  out.  No.  It  is  some- 
thing else.  I  believe  my  mother  has  been  saying 
something  to  him  about  me." 

Pratt  looked  up  suddenly,  but  his  face  did  not 
change.  "  I'll  see  Mrs  Gabriel,"  he  said  calmly.  "  If 
she  has  said  anything  to  the  vicar  likely  to  do  you 
harm,  I'll  get  her  to  tell  me.  I  have  known  her  for 
many  years,  Leo,  and  she  often  takes  my  advice." 

"  I  know.  She  has  the  very  highest  opinion  of 
you,  Pratt,"  said  the  innocent  Leo;  whereat  Pratt 
chuckled. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,"  he  said.  "  I'll  speak  to  Mrs 
Gabriel  about  your  debts  at  the  same  time." 

"  No ;  don't  do  that !  "  cried  Leo  in  alarm.  "  You 
will  only  weaken  my  position  with  her.     I  want  to 


84  The  Pagan's  Cup 

settle  these  debts  without  her  knowledge.  I  can 
raise  the  money,  as  I  told  you.  Later  on,  when  she 
comes  round,  I  can  get  her  to  give  me  the  sum  and 
settle.  She  will  surely  do  that  when  she  hears  that 
I  have  enlisted." 

"  I  daresay.  In  fact,  I'm  sure  she  will,"  said  Pratt, 
with  his  queer  smile.  "  Who  is  going  to  lend  you 
the  money  meantime  ?  " 

"I  can't  tell  you  that,  Mr  Pratt,"  said  Leo,  with 
dignit3^ 

"  You  might  tell  it  to  a  worse  person,"  said  Pratt, 
rather  offended.  "  However,  keep  your  secret;  I'll  do 
what  I  can." 

*'  Don't  be  offended,  Pratt.  Indeed,  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible I'll  tell  you." 

"  There !  There !  Don't  make  a  fuss  over  it,"  he 
said  testily.  "  I  know  you  are  not  such  a  fool  as  peo- 
ple think  you  are.  And  to  tell  you  the  truth,  Leo, 
if  you  can  pay  these  debts  independently  of  Mrs 
Gabriel,  I  fancy  she  wdl  think  all  the  more  of  you. 
I  don't  offer  to  help  you  myself,  because  if  she  asks 
me  I  want  to  be  able  to  say  '  no '  for  reasons  which  I 
will  explain  later.  But  I  tell  you  what.  Leo.  If, 
when  you  get  these  matters  settled  and  enlist,  Mrs 
Gabriel  won't  come  round,  I'll  give  you  the  money  my- 
self to  repay  the  loan,  and  fit  you  out  for  South 
Africa." 

"  You  are  indeed  a  friend,"  cried  Leo,  with  emotion, 
and  the  two  men  shook  hands.  They  understood  each 
other  very  well. 

But  all  this  time  Leo  was  pining  to  get  a  sight  of 


Trouble  85 

Sybil.  It  is  true  that  he  sometimes  saw  her  in  the 
distance;  but  she  was  always  with  her  father,  and 
he  could  not  come  near.  However,  it  came  about  that 
Sybil  induced  Pearl  to  take  a  note  to  Leo.  She  ex- 
plained in  it  that  her  father  had  taken  a  dislike  to 
the  marriage,  and  that  the  only  chance  of  things  being 
arranged  lay  in  Leo  going  away  for  a  time.  Several 
notes  passed  between  the  lovers,  and  then  their  kindly 
messenger  fell  ill,  but  not  before  it  was  understood  that 
Sybil  was  to  leave  a  note  or  so  in  a  certain  crack  in  the 
chapel  wall,  which  they  could  use  as  a  post-office. 
And  out  of  that  subterfuge  all  the  subsequent  trouble 

arose. 

Pearl  was  really  ill.  She  was  in  the  habit  of  wan- 
dering about  at  night,  and  as  the  wet  weather  was 
coming  she  had  been  caught  on  the  moor  in  a  thunder- 
storm. Now  she  was  laid  up  with  a  severe  cold. 
Raston  was  particularly  anxious  about  her.  Leo  met 
him  one  day,  and  the  curate  was  red  with  indignation. 
It  seemed  he  had  good  cause  for  it. 

"Did  you  ever  hear  of  anything  so  wicked, 
Haverleigh?"  he  asked. 

"  What  is  the  mater  now?  " 

"Why,  that  poor  mad  child!  She  is  very  ill,  as 
vou  know,  but  is  getting  on  all  right ;  Dr  James  says 
she  is  well  on  the  way  to  recovery.  Now  Mrs  Jeal 
took  it  into  her  head  that  the  girl  was  dying,  and  has 
been  frightening  her  with  stories  of  eternal  torment. 
You  know,  Pearl  always  believed  that  she  would  go 
to  heaven,  and  be  at  the  Supper  with  the  Master,  as 
she  calls  Our  Lord.    She  never  had  any  doubt.    Now 


86  The  Pagan's  Cup 

these  gruesome  stories  of  Mrs  Jeal's  have  made  her 
doubt  if  she  will  be  saved.  In  fact,  she  believes  now 
that  unless  the  Master  gives  her  some  sign  she  will 
be  lost !  " 

"  How  cruel  of  Mrs  Jeal,"  said  Leo,  angrily. 

"  Oh !  I  believe  she  did  it  for  the  best.  She  is 
fond  of  Pearl,  and  kind  to  her.  But  you  know  she 
came  from  the  north,  and  she  holds  to  that  gloomy 
Calvinistic  religion  that  has  terrified  so  many  people. 
I  gave  her  a  good  talking  to,  and  she  has  consented 
to  leave  Pearl  alone.  All  the  same,  she  still  holds  that 
the  child  is  a  lost  soul.  I  have  been  trying  to  pacify 
the  poor  creature.     She  is  haunted  by  terrible  fears." 

"  Show  her  the  cup !  "  suggested  Leo.  "  She  has 
such  a  belief  in  it  as  the  Holy  Grail  that  it  may 
soothe  her." 

"  A  good  idea,"  said  the  curate.  "  I  will  ask  Mi 
Tempest  about  it.  But  I  cannot  take  it  to  her  till 
Monday.  To-morrow  I  preach  in  the  evening.  I 
hear  you  are  going  up  to  Town." 

"  On  Monday  morning  early.  When  you  next  hear 
of  me,  Raston,  I  may  have  enlisted." 

"  And  a  good  thing  too,"  said  Raston.  "  But  that 
I  am  a  clergyman  I  should  have  been  a  soldier.  Good- 
day  !     Come  to  church  to-morrow." 

And  to  church  Leo  went  to  see  Sybil  in  her  pew. 
He  also  went  to  the  evening  service.  On  Monday  he 
departed  for  London.  But  no  one  heeded  his  going. 
The  village  was  excited  by  a  rumour  that  the  cup  had 
been  stolen.  On  hearing  the  report  Mr  Tempest  went 
to  the  church.    It  was  true.     The  cup  was  gone. 


CHAPTER     Yll 

A      NINE      days'       wonder 

III  news  spreads  like  circles  on  water  when  a  stone 
is  thrown  in.  Barker,  the  old  sexton,  a  white-haired, 
crabbed  sinner,  was  the  first  to  discover  the  loss.  He 
had  gone  to  the  chapel  at  seven  in  the  morning  to 
make  ready  the  church  for  early  celebration,  and  on 
going  to  the  altar  he  had  noticed  that  the  cup  was 
missing.  Nothing  else  had  been  touched.  At  once 
the  old  man  had  trotted  off  to  see  the  vicar,  and  in  a 
quavering  voice  related  what  had  taken  place,  finish- 
ing with  a  hope  that  he  would  not  be  blamed  for  the 
loss. 

"You  locked  the  chapel  up  last  night?"  asked  ]Mr 
Tempest,  sorely  distressed,  for  indeed  this  was 
sacrilege  and  not  a  common  robbery. 

"  'Deed  and  I  did !  "  replied  Barker,  sturdily.  "  And 
I  took  the  key  home  with  me.  My  wife  saw  me  place 
it  on  its  nail  just  inside  the  door." 

"  Was  the  church  door  locked  ?  " 

"  Fast  locked,  sir.  And  all  the  windows  fastened. 
I  went  round  the  chapel  to  see  if  I  could  find  any 
sign." 

"When  did  you  leave  the  church  last  night, 
Barker?" 


88  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  At  nine  o'clock,  after  I  made  everything  right  for 
the  night.  It  was  after  evening  service,  if  you  mind, 
Mr  Tempest.  Then  I  went  home  and  put  the  ivey  in 
its  place.  My  Joan  and  I  went  then  to  a  neighbour 
for  a  bit  of  supper.  We  got  home  again  about 
eleven." 

"  And  the  key  was  still  on  its  nail  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Barker,  scratching  his  white  locks, 
"  I  didn't  look.  But  it  was  there  this  morning ;  so  it 
could  not  have  been  taken  away.  Besides,  my  Joan 
locked  the  door  of  our  cottage.  No  one  could  have 
got  in." 

"  The  cup  was  on  the  altar  when  you  left  the  church 
last  night?" 

''  On  the  altar  where  it  ought  to  be.  But  this 
morning  it's  nowhere  to  be  seen.  I  hope  you  don't 
think  it's  my  fault,  sir." 

"  No,"  replied  Mr  Tempest.  "  I  cannot  see  that 
you  are  to  blame.  But  this  is  a  very  serious  matter. 
Barker.  I  did  not  know  that  there  was  anyone  in 
Colester  who  would  have  committed  such  a  crime." 

''  It's  terrible,"  sighed  the  sexton.  "  And  what  that 
poor  lass  Pearl  will  say  I  don't  know." 

"  She  must  not  hear  of  it,"  said  Raston,  who 
entered  at  the  moment.  "  She  thinks  so  much  of  the 
cup  that  in  her  present  state  of  health  its  loss  may  do 
her  much  harm." 

"  Is  she  very  ill,  Raston  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  Much  worse  than  she  was  last  night.  But 
Mrs  Jeal  is  giving  her  all  attention,  and  I  have  sent 
Dr  James.     But  about  this  loss,  sir?" 


A  Nine  Days'  Wonder  89 

"  We  had  better  go  to  the  chapel,  Raston,  and  see 
with  our  own  eyes." 

Followed  by  Barker,  still  protesting  that  it  was  not 
his  fault,  the  vicar  and  the  curate  went  up  to  the 
church.  It  was  surrounded  with  a  crowd  of  people, 
for  the  news  had  spread  quickly.  Some  looked  in  at 
the  door,  but  no  one  had  ventured  to  enter,  as  each  one 
was  afraid  if  he  did  an  accusation  might  be  levelled 
against  him.  Mr  Tempest  told  Harris,  the  local  police- 
man, to  keep  back  the  crowd,  and  entered  the  chapel 
followed  by  his  curate.  All  was  as  Barker  had  said. 
There  was  the  altar  covered  with  its  white  cloth,  and 
with  the  withered  flowers  still  in  the  vases.  The 
gilded  crucifix  was  also  there ;  but  not  a  sign  of  the 
cup.     It   had   vanished   entirely.     Tempest   sighed. 

"  A  terrible  thing  for  the  man  who  stole  it,"  he 
muttered.  "  This  is  no  common  robbery.  Raston,  let 
us  examine  the  church." 

The  two  went  round  it  carefully,  but  could  find  noth- 
ing for  a  long  time  likely  to  enlighten  them  as  to  the 
cause  of  the  robbery.  Then  in  the  lepers'  window,  a 
small  opening  at  the  side  of  the  chancel,  Raston  dis- 
covered that  some  of  the  stones  had  been  chipped. 
"  I  believe  the  church  was  entered  through  this  win- 
dow," said  Raston,  but  the  vicar  was  inclined  to  doubt. 

"  The  window  is  so  small  that  no  grown  man  could 
have  got  through,"  he  said. 

They  went  outside,  and  certainly  against  the  wall 
and  immediately  under  the  window  were  marks,  and 
scratches  of  boots,  as  though  someone  might  have 
climbed  the  wall.     Also  the  sides  of  the  window  were 


go  The  Pagan's  Cup 

broken,  as  though  a  way  had  been  found  through. 
The  lepers'  window  was  so  small  that  no  care  had 
been  taken  to  put  in  glass  or  iron  bars.  Besides,  no 
one  had  ever  expected  that  the  chapel  would  be  robbed. 
In  all  its  centuries  of  history  nothing  up  till  now 
had  ever  been  taken  from  it.  And  now  the  most 
precious  thing  of  all  had  vanished ! 

"  And  during  my  occupation  of  the  Vicarage,"  said 
Mr  Tempest.     "It  is  really  terrible!" 

However,  in  spite  of  the  loss,  he  held  the  service 
as  usual,  and  as  a  great  number  of  people,  attracted 
by  the  news  of  the  robbery,  had  come,  the  chapel  was 
quite  full.  Service  over,  Tempest  returned  to  the 
Vicarage,  and  found  Mr  Pratt  waiting  to  see  him. 

"  This  is  a  nice  thing!  "  said  Pratt,  looking  annoyed, 
as  well  he  might,  seeing  that  his  magnificent  gift  had 
disappeared.  "  I  did  not  know  that  you  had  thieves 
in  the  parish,  Mr  Tempest !  " 

"  Neither  did  I,"  groaned  the  vicar,  sitting  down. 
"  Hitherto  we  have  been  singularly  exempt  from  crime. 
And  now  one  of  the  very  worst  sort  has  befallen  us  I 
Not  a  mere  robbery,  Mr  Pratt.  Sacrilege,  sir, 
sacrilege !  " 

The  American  turned  rather  white  as  Tempest  spoke. 
He  had  not  regarded  the  robbery  save  as  a  common 
one.  The  idea  that  it  was  sacrilege  placed  it  in  a  new 
light.  Yet  Mr  Pratt  was  sharp  enough  to  have 
guessed  this  before.  The  wonder  was  that  he  had 
not  done  so. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? "  he  asked,  after 
a  pause. 


A  Nine  Days'  Wonder  91 

"  Raston  has  sent  for  the  poHce  at  Portfront.  I 
expect  the  inspector  will  come  over  this  afternoon.'' 

Pratt  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  I  don't  think  much 
of  the  police/'  he  said.  "  The  metropolitan  detectives 
are  stupid  enough;  but  the  provincial  police — oh, 
Lord !  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr  Tempest ;  I  forgot 
myself." 

"  No  matter,  no  matter,"  said  Tempest,  wearily. 
"  I  can  think  of  nothing  save  our  great  loss.  And 
your  gift,  too,  ]\Ir  Pratt !     Terrible !  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  American,  cheerfully,  "  if  this  cup 
can't  be  found,  I  guess  I  must  find  you  another  one." 

"  The  cup  shall  be  found,"  cried  the  vicar,  vehe- 
mently. ''  The  culprit  must  belong  to  this  parish,  else 
he  would  not  have  known  the  lepers'  window  in  the 
chapel.  We  shall  find  the  guilty  person  yet,  Mr 
Pratt." 

"I  hope  so,"  said  Pratt,  with  another  shrug;  "but 
he  seems  to  have  got  away  very  cleverly.  I  shall  see 
you  this  afternoon  when  you  interview  the  inspector, 
]\Ir  Tempest.  I  should  like  to  have  a  hand  in  the 
discovery." 

"  Certainly,  certainly.  Who  but  you,  the  giver  of 
the  cup,  should  wish  to  help?  Come  here  this  after- 
noon, Mr  Pratt." 

As  Pratt  left  the  Vicarage  he  met  Sybil,  who  looked 
sad.  "  Don't  take  on  so.  Miss  Tempest,"  he  said ; 
"  we'll  find  the  cup  yet." 

"  I  was  not  thinking  so  much  of  that,"  explained 
Sybil;  "but  this  morning  my  poor  dear  Leo  went 
away." 


92  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  When  is  he  coming  back  ?  " 

"  Towards  the  end  of  next  week.  I  wonder  who 
can  have  taken  the  cup  ?  " 

Pratt  sneered,  an  unusual  thing  for  so  good-natured 
a  man.  "  No  doubt  the  Portfront  pohce  will  tell  us," 
he  said ;  "  but  I  haven't  much  opinion  of  law  officers 
myself,  Miss  Sybil.  I  once  lost  a  lot  of  gems  in  Lon- 
don, and  the  thief  was  never  found.  Are  you  fond  of 
gems?  Come  to  my  house  and  PU  show  you  my  col- 
lection,    I  have  several  thousand  pounds'  worth." 

"Is  it  not  dangerous  to  keep  them  in  your  house 
after  this  robbery  ?  " 

Pratt  laughed,  "  I  don't  think  a  thief  would  steal 
them  so  easily  as  the  cup  !"  he  laughed.  *"  I  have  a 
good  dog  and  a  capital  revolver.  No,  Miss  Sybil,  I 
can  look  after  my  property  well,  I  assure  you." 

When  he  went  away  Sybil  sighed  and  sought  her 
room.  The  departure  of  Leo  had  left  her  very  sad. 
She  did  not  know  what  would  become  of  him.  He 
would  pay  his  debts  and  then  enlist  for  South  Africa. 
In  that  case  she  would  not  see  him  again  for  months. 
Perhaps  never — for  it  might  be  that  some  bullet  would 
lay  him  low  on  the  veldt.  However,  for  the  sake  of 
her  father,  she  strove  to  assume  a  light-hearted  de- 
meanour. The  vicar  felt  the  loss  of  the  cup  keenly. 
And  although  Sybil  thought  he  had  treated  her  hardly 
in  her  love  afifair,  she  laid  all  thoughts  of  self  aside  so 
as  to  comfort  him  in  his  trouble. 

As  for  Pratt,  he  walked  back  to  his  own  house. 
At  the  foot  of  the  Castle  Hill  he  met  Mrs  Gabriel,  who 


A  Nine  Days*  Wonder  93 

seemed  to  be  in  a  great  state  of  indignation.  As  usual, 
her  anger  was  directed  against  Leo. 

"  He  came  to  me  last  night  and  said  that  he  was 
going  up  to  London  to  pay  his  debts.  This  morning 
he  went  off  at  seven  without  taking  leave.  Now,  Mr 
Pratt,  you  have  been  giving  him  the  money  to  pay 
his  debts." 

"  Indeed  I  have  not,  ]\Irs  Gabriel,"  said  Pratt,  quite 
prepared  for  this  question.  "  I  have  not  given  him  a 
sixpence." 

"  Then  where  did  he  get  so  large  a  sum?  "  asked  the 
lady,  anxiously. 

"  I  don't  know.  He  told  me  that  someone  had  lent 
it  to  him." 

"  A  likely  story !  As  if  anyone  here  would  trust  him 
with  money  without  a  guarantee !  Mr  Pratt — "  Here 
]\Irs  Gabriel  stopped  and  her  face  went  white.  A 
thought  had  struck  her  and  she  was  about  to  speak. 
But  she  saved  herself  in  time  and  stared  at  her 
companion. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  said  Pratt,  anxiously.  He 
thought  she  would  faint,  a  weakness  he  had  never 
hitherto  associated  with  Mrs  Gabriel. 

"  Nothing,"  she  replied  in  a  strangled  voice.  "  But 
Leo —  I  must  see  Frank,"  and  without  another  word 
she  hurried  away. 

Pratt  stared  after  her  as  he  could  not  conjecture 
what  she  meant.  Then  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and 
went  back  to  The  Nun's  House.  That  same  after- 
noon he  called  again  at  the  Vicarage,  and  there  found 
Mr  Tempest  in  consultation  with  a  grey-haired  man 


94  The  Pagan's  Cup 

whom  he  introduced  as  Inspector  German.  The  police 
officer,  who  had  a  shrewd  face  with  keen  eyes,  nodded 
in  a  friendly  manner.  "  I  understand  you  gave  this 
cup  to  the  chapel,  Mr  Pratt,"  he  said.  "  Pity  it  is 
lost." 

"  A  great  pity,"  replied  Pratt,  who  was  making  a 
thorough  examination  of  the  man,  and  now  seemed 
much  more  at  ease  than  when  he  had  entered.  "  I 
hope  the  thief  has  gone  away,  however.  I  have  in 
my  house  several  thousand  pounds'  worth  of  gems, 
and  I  don't  want  him  to  come  after  them." 

"  How  do  you  know  it  was  a  man  ?  "  asked  German, 
quietly. 

"  I  don't  know,"  responded  the  American,  with  a 
stare  and  a  laugh.  "  I  only  speak  as  others  do.  For 
my  part,  I  believe  that  there  were  two  people  con- 
cerned in  the  robbery — a  man  and  a  boy." 

"  Certainly  a  boy,"  replied  Tempest,  looking  up. 
"  No  one  but  a  small  boy  could  have  forced  himself 
through  that  window." 

"  Then  you  don't  think,  Mr  Tempest,  that  a  woman 
can  have  had  anything  to  do  with  the  matter  ?  " 

Tempest  stared.  The  idea  seemed  ridiculous.  "  I 
do  not  think  a  woman  would  commit  so  wicked  an 
act,"  he  said  stiffly. 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,"  interposed  Pratt,  "  women  are 
as  wicked  as  men,  and  worse  when  the  fit  takes  them. 
But  I  see  what  Mr  Inspector  means.  He  has  heard 
of  Pearl  Darry's  devotion  to  the  cup." 

"  It  was  not  Pearl !  "  cried  Mr  Tempest,  indignantly. 
"  I  am  sure  of  that.     Why,  the  poor  child  regarded 


A  Nine  Days'  Wonder  95 

that  cup  as  something  too  holy  to  be  touched — as  it 
was,"  added  the  vicar,  reverently. 

"  Well,"  said  German,  after  a  pause,  ''  I  have  been 
talking  to  your  villagers  about  her.  It  seems  that  she 
was  always  haunting  the  chapel  and  looking  at  the  cup. 
She  might  have  been  seized  with  a  desire  to  have  it 
for  her  very  own.  She  is  insane,  I  believe,  and  in- 
sane people  have  very  mad  ideas.  Also  she  is  small 
and  could  easily  have  forced  herself  through  the  lepers' 
window,  of  which  she  would  know  the  position," 

Pratt  looked  with  contempt  at  the  officer.  He  was 
even  more  stupid  than  he  had  given  him  credit  for. 
"  You  can  rest  easy,  ]\Ir  Inspector,"  he  said.  "  It  was 
not  Pearl  who  stole  my  cup.  She  has  been  ill  in  bed 
for  the  last  few  days  and  unable  to  move,  as  j\Irs  Jeal 
and  Dr  James  will  tell  you." 

"  I  must  make  certain  of  that  myself,"  said  the  in- 
spector.    ''  Will  you  come  with  me,  J\Ir  Pratt  ?  " 

"  Not  I,"  replied  the  American.  "  I  think  you  are 
going  on  a  wild-goose  chase.  The  best  thing  for  you 
to  do,  Mr  Inspector,  is  to  see  if  any  vagabonds  have 
been  in  the  village  lately." 

"  I  have  already  done  so,"  replied  German,  coolly ; 
'■  and  the  villagers  assure  me  that  no  stranger  has  been 
seen  hereabouts  for  some  days.  However,  I  am  will- 
ing to  give  this  girl  the  benefit  of  the  doubt.  But  I 
must  see  her." 

As  Pratt  still  refused  to  come  and  Tempest  was  un- 
willing to  call  at  the  cottage  of  IMrs  Jeal  on  such  an 
errand,  the  inspector  went  himself.  He  found  no  dif- 
ficulty in  entering,  as  Raston  was  at  the  door.     All  the 


96  The  Pagan's  Cup 

same  the  curate  was  indignant  on  hearing  the  accusa- 
tion. He  took  German  into  the  sitting-room,  but 
refused — and  in  this  he  was  backed  up  by  the  doctor — 
to  let  the  inspector  enter  the  bedroom  of  the  sick 
girl.  Not  that  German  desired  to  do  so  after  an  in- 
terview with  Mrs  Jeal.  She  was  most  indignant  at  the 
slur  cast  upon  the  character  of  the  girl  she  called  her 
adopted  daughter.  There  was  a  scene,  and  Mrs  Jeal 
proved  herself  to  be  more  than  equal  to  the  official  from 
Portfront. 

"  I  never  heard  anything  so  wicked  in  my  life,"  cried 
Mrs  Jeal.  "  The  poor  child  may  be  mad,  but  not 
mad  enough  to  take  what  is  not  her  own.  I  wonder 
at  you,  sir,  that  you  should  come  here  on  such  an 
errand." 

"  My  duty  is  clearly  before  me,"  replied  the  inspec- 
tor, stifly.     "  Is  the  girl  really  and  truly  ill  ?  " 

"  You  can  take  my  word  for  that,  Mr  German,"  said 
Raston.  "  Or,  if  you  do  not  believe  me,  here  is  Dr 
James !" 

"  111 !  "  repeated  the  doctor,  when  the  question  was 
put  to  him.  "  She  had  a  bad  attack  of  inflammation 
of  the  lungs,  and  she  is  worse  this  morning  than  I 
have  ever  seen  her.  I  do  not  wish  her  disturbed,  Mr 
Inspector." 

"  She  could  not  have  gone  out  last  night  to  the 
chapel,  doctor  ?  " 

"  Not  without  the  risk  of  being  dead  this  morning," 
replied  James,  dryly.  "  Besides,  Pearl  Darry  is  not 
a  thief.  No,  sir.  Whosoever  stole  that  cup,  it  was 
not  my  patient." 


A  Nine  Days'  Wonder  97 

"  And  I  would  have  you  know,"  cried  J\Irs  Jeal, 
with  her  arms  akimbo,  "  that  I  sat  beside  her  the  most 
of  last  night,  and  not  one  step  did  she  stir  off  the 
bed." 

''  Ah,  well,"  said  German,  who  could  not  go  against 
this  evidence,  "it  is  very  plain  that  I  am  in  the  wrong. 
Unless—" 

"  There's  no  unless  about  it,  sir,"  cried  Ivirs  Jeal. 
"  Pearl  wasna  oot  o'  this  hoose ;"  in  her  excitement 
she  was  falling  into  the  Scotch  speech  of  her  childhood. 
*'  I  wonder  at  ye,  I  do  that !     Hoots,  awa'  wi'  ye !  " 

Baffled  in  this  quarter,  the  inspector  took  his  way 
into  the  village.  First  he  examined  the  chapel.  Then 
he  started  out  to  make  inquiries.  For  quite  three 
days  he  exasperated  everyone  in  the  village  with  his 
questions  and  suspicions.  But  for  all  his  worry  he 
was  unable  to  get  at  the  truth.  No  tramps  had  been 
to  the  village.  Old  Barker  proved  his  innocence  with 
the  assistance  of  a  wrathful  wife,  and  there  was  not 
a  single  person  to  whom  the  well-meaning  but  blunder- 
ing inspector  could  point  as  likely  to  have  stolen  the 
cup.  Finally,  he  was  obliged  to  state  that  he  could  do 
nothing,  and  withdrew  himself  and  his  underlings  from 
Colester,  much  to  the  relief  of  the  villagers,  whom  he 
had  grievously  offended  by  his  unjust  suspicions.  The 
cup  had  vanished  as  though  it  had  been  swallowed  up 
by  the  earth,  and  no  one  was  able  to  say  who  had 
taken  it. 

"  A  grievous  loss,"  sighed  Air  Tempest,  when  he 
became  resigned.  "  But  I  sorrow  not  so  much  for  the 
theft  of  the  cup  as  for  the  awful  sacrilege  of  which 


98  The  Pagan's  Cup 

the  thief  has  been  guilty."  And  he  took  occasion  to 
refer  to  the  terrible  deed  in  a  wrathful  sermon.  The 
villagers  shook  in  their  shoes  when  they  heard  of  the 
ills  likely  to  befall  the  thief.  But  not  one  was  able  to 
say  who  was  guilty. 

For  a  whole  week  things  went  on  much  as  usual,  and 
the  excitement  died  away.  Leo  was  still  in  London, 
and,  through  Pratt,  Sybil  had  heard  from  him.  He 
had  seen  his  creditors  and  had  settled  all  his  debts. 
He  was  now  thinking  about  enlisting.  Before  he  could 
do  so,  however,  Sybil  sent  a  message  recalling  him 
to  Colester  to  defend  his  good  name. 

It  so  happened  that  Barker  held  his  tongue  for 
some  time,  but  when  the  fxrst  effects  of  the  fright  lest 
he  might  be  accused  passed  away,  he  began  to  talk. 
The  old  man  was  given  to  babbling  in  his  cups.  Thus 
it  came  about  that  he  mentioned  that  he  believed  Mr 
Haverleigh  had  taken  the  cup.  It  seemed  that  Barker 
had  seen  Leo  near  the  chapel,  as  he  was  leaving  it 
about  half-past  nine.  Mr  Haverleigh,  said  the  old 
man,  had  seemed  to  shun  recognition,  and  had  hurried 
past  him.  Not  thinking  anything  of  the  matter, 
Barker  had  left  him  near  the  chapel  door.  Now, 
however,  he  hinted  that  Leo  might  have  had  some 
reason  to  be  there  at  so  untoward  an  hour.  Also,  he 
had  gone  away  the  next  morning  early.  It  was  well 
known  in  Colester  that  the  young  man  was  in  debt,  and 
that  his  mother  had  refused  to  pay  his  debts.  What, 
then,  was  more  likely,  people  argued,  than  that  Leo 
should  have  stolen  the  cup,  should  have  taken  it  up 
to  London  before  the  loss  was  discovered,  and  should 


A  Nine  Days'  Wonder  99 

have  sold  it  to  pay  his  debts?  In  a  few  hours  this 
sorry  tale  was  all  over  the  place,  and  so  came  to  Sybil's 
ears.  It  was  her  father  who  heard  it,  and  her  father 
who  told  her. 

"  But  surely  you  do  not  believe  it !  "  cried  the  girl, 
when  the  accusation  was  made.  "  You  have  known 
Leo  all  these  years !  Whatever  you  may  have  against 
him,  father,  you  know  that  he  would  never  commit 
so  wicked  an  act." 

"  I  say  nothing  until  I  hear  what  he  has  to  say," 
replied  the  vicar,  who,  for  some  reason,  seemed  to  be 
biassed  against  Leo.  "  But  you  must  admit  that  it  was 
strange  he  should  be  near  the  chapel  at  so  late  an 
hour.  And  we  know  that  he  is  deeply  in  debt.  Mrs 
Gabriel  told  me  herself  that  he  owed  three  hundred 
pounds.     In  a  moment  of  madness — " 

"I  won't  hear  a  word  against  Leo!"  interrupted 
Sybil,  pale  but  resolute.  "  Not  if  an  angel  came  down 
to  accuse  him  would  I  believe  him  guilty !  How  could 
he  have  got  the  key?  And  if  he  did  not  get  the  key, 
how  could  he  have  forced  himself  through  that  small 
window  ?  " 

"  I  say  nothing  until  I  hear  his  defence,"  said  the 
vicar,  obstinately;  "but  the  whole  affair  is  highly 
suspicious." 

"  I  never  knew  you  to  be  unjust  before,  father," 
cried  Sybil.  "  Mrs  Gabriel  has  infected  you  with  her 
dislike  of  Leo.  I  shall  say  nothing  myself,  although 
I  could  say  more  than  you  think.  But  I  shall  send 
at  once  to  Leo,  and  he  shall  come  back  to  rebut  this 
wicked  accusation." 


loo  The  Pagan's  Cup 

Without  listening  to  another  word,  Sybil  ran  off  to 
see  Pratt,  who  was  equally  indignant.  *'  It  is  dis- 
graceful," he  said  furiously.  "  Leo  never  would  do 
such  a  thing,  never!  Be  comforted,  my  dear.  I'll 
ride  over  to  Portfront  this  very  day  and  send  a  wire 
to  him." 

And  this  he  did  without  delay.  More  than  that, 
he  defended  Leo  heartily  when  he  returned;  so  did 
Raston.  Hale  kept  silent.  But  the  majority  of  the 
villagers  were  against  the  young  man.  Leo  returned 
in  disgrace.  , 


CHAPTER     VIII 

haverleigh's    defence 

T  H  A  N  K  s  to  the  care  of  Dr  James,  and  the  nursing 
of  Mrs  Jeal,  the  sick  girl  took  a  turn  for  the  better. 
In  a  remarkably  short  space  of  time  she  began  to  im- 
prove, and  when  Leo  arrived  back  in  Colester  she  was 
on  a  fair  way  of  recover)-.  Although  the  doctor  did 
not  like  jMrs  Jeal,  he  could  not  but  admit  that  no 
mother  could  have  been  kinder  than  the  midwife.  She 
waited  hand  and  foot,  day  and  night,  on  Pearl,  and 
refused  to  let  anyone  take  her  place,  even  when  she 
was  worn  out  with  watching.  In  the  middle  of  her 
trouble  she  was  called  away  to  London. 

One  day  shortly  after  the  theft  of  the  cup  she  re- 
ceived a  telegram  from  Town  informing  her  that  her 
father  was  seriously  ill,  and  that  she  was  to  come  up 
at  once  if  she  wanted  to  see  him  alive.  Now,  if  there 
was  one  strong  feeling  Mrs  Jeal  possessed  it  was  love 
for  her  father,  of  whom  she  often  spoke.  Much  as 
she  liked  Pearl,  she  was  not  prepared  to  stay  beside 
her  in  the  face  of  such  a  summons.  The  old  man  might 
die  if  she  delayed. 

"  I  can  get  Joan  Barker  in  to  nurse  Pearl,"  she  said 
to  the  doctor,  "  and  go  at  once  to  London.  I  may  be 
away  a  week  or  two." 


I02  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Humph !  "  said  James,  rmming  his  eye  over  the 
telegram.  "  I  suppose  you  must  go ;  the  matter  seems 
urgent.  Mrs  Barker  is  not  so  good  a  nurse  as  you, 
though." 

"  But  Pearl  is  much  better,  doctor,"  said  Mrs  Jeal, 
anxiously. 

"  Yes,  I'll  pull  her  through.  Well,  pack  your  traps, 
Mrs  Jeal.  Myself  and  Mr  Raston  will  attend  to  Pearl 
with  the  assistance  of  Mrs  Barker.  You  must  leave 
me  some  address,  though,  in  case  anything  goes  wrong 
during  your  absence.  Not  that  I  think  anything  will ; 
Pearl  is  mending  rapidly." 

Mrs  Jeal  gave  an  address  in  a  humble  Battersea 
street,  and  in  a  few  hours  was  ready  for  the  road. 
She  took  a  tender  leave  of  Pearl,  to  whom  she  ap- 
peared to  be  sincerely  attached,  and  that  same  morning 
left  for  Portfront  by  a  carrier's  waggon.  When  she 
departed  the  village  was  still  filled  with  anxiety  re- 
garding the  loss  of  the  cup. 

As  has  been  said  before,  no  railway  had  yet  opened 
up  the  solitudes  of  Colester  and  King's-meadows.  But 
those  who  wished  to  get  quickly  to  London  took  the 
steamer  from  Portfront,  and  in  a  few  hours  came  to 
Worthing,  at  which  place  a  train  was  easily  procura- 
ble. Mrs  Jeal  took  this  route,  and  having  started  early 
she  arrived  in  Town  that  same  night.  She  sent  a 
wire  telling  of  her  arrival  to  Dr  James.  He  showed 
it  to  Sir  Frank  Hale. 

"  Quick  work,"  said  James ;  "  yet  we  are  far  enough 
away  from  the  world  here." 

"  That's  true,"  replied  the  baronet.     "  So  Mrs  Jeal 


Haverleigh's   Defence  103 

has  gone  to  Town!  I  saw  her  at  Portfront  when  I 
was  there  yesterday  morning.  It  is  not  often  she  goes 
to  Town.  I  suppose  she  does  not  wish  to  lose  the 
money." 

"  The  money,  Hale  ?    What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Why,  it  seems,  from  what  IMrs  Jeal  told  me,  that 
her  father  is  not  badly  ofif,  and  if  he  dies  she  will 
come  into  a  tidy  bit  of  money.  There  are  other  rela- 
tives, though,  and  she  was  afraid  lest  they  should 
get  the  old  man  to  leave  the  fortune  to  them." 

"Fortune!"  said  James,  with  a  smile;  "a  large 
w^ord  for  a  small  legacy." 

"  I  don't  know  so  much  about  that,"  responded  the 
cripple,  snappishly.  "  From  what  the  woman  told  me, 
her  father  is  well  off.  He  was  a  porter  or  something 
in  a  stockbroker's  office,  and  dabbled  in  mines  himself. 
It  seems  he  was  lucky  in  his  speculations  and  made 
money.  By  the  way,  James,  has  Haverleigh  turned  up 
yet?" 

"No,  but  I  heard  that  Mr  Pratt  had  sent  a  tele- 
gram to  him.  I  expect  he  wall  wonder  what  is  the 
matter  that  Pratt  should  ask  him  to  come  back." 

"  Not  he ! "  growled  Hale.  "  He  knows  well 
enough." 

"  Why,  Hale,  you  don't  believe  he  stole  the  cup?  " 

The  cripple  remained  silent  for  a  time.  "  It  is  a 
difficult  thing  for  me  to  say,"  he  finally  remarked. 
"  You  know,  James,  that  my  sister  Edith  is  deeply  in 
love  with  the  man.  I  don't  like  him  myself;  I  never 
did.  But  if  he  w^ould  marry  my  sister  I  should  not 
decline  the  alliance.     I  put  her  happiness  before  my 


I04  The  Pagan's  Cup 

own  feelings.  Well,  under  the  circumstances,  I  really 
am  not  prepared  to  give  an  opinion.  I  know  that  Leo 
was  in  debt,  and  it  is  common  talk  that  Mrs  Gabriel 
refused  to  pay  his  debts ;  yet  she  informed  me  that  he 
went  up  to  London  to  settle  them.  Now,  he  must 
have  got  the  money  from  somewhere,  and  who  would 
trust  him  ?  " 

"  It  looks  black  against  him,  I  confess,"  replied 
James,  shaking  his  head ;  "  still,  I  cannot  believe  that 
Haverleigh  would  sink  to  being  a  common  thief.  You 
will  see  when  he  returns  that  he  will  be  able  to 
explain." 

"  If  he  ever  does  return,"  growled  Hale,  doubtfully. 

"  He  will.  Why,  Miss  Tempest  believes  in  him,  and 
he  must  come  back  if  only  to  justify  her  faith.  I  be- 
lieve those  two  are  in  love  with  one  another,  Hale. 
Well,  they  will  make  a  handsome  couple." 

"  He  will  have  to  get  back  his  good  name  first," 
retorted  Hale,  jealously.  "  And  as  to  there  being  any- 
thing between  them — I  don't  believe  it.  Good-day, 
James.    Don't  go  spreading  cock-and-bull  stories." 

As  the  baronet  walked  off  the  doctor  looked  after 
him  with  a  smile  of  contempt.  He  knew  that  Hale 
was  madly  in  love  with  the  vicar's  daughter,  and  that 
he  regarded  Leo  as  a  too  successful  rival.  "  You'll 
be  delighted  if  the  poor  chap  comes  to  harm,"  mut- 
tered James ;  "  you  are  a  viper !  But  I  am  sure  Haver- 
leigh will  clear  himself.  A  girl  like  Sybil  Tempest 
is  not  likely  to  be  deceived  in  the  character  of  the  man 
she  loves.  I  would  rather  believe  her  than  you.  Sir 
Frank  Hale !  "     And  James,  who  had  no  great  love 


Haverleigh's   Defence  105 

for  the  spiteful  little  cripple,  walked  away  to  see 
Pearl. 

By  this  time  the  opinion  was  that  Leo  would  not 
return.  It  was  positive,  said  the  gossips,  that  he  had 
stolen  the  cup  in  order  to  procure  money  for  the  pay- 
ment of  his  debts.  The  most  likely  thing  was  that  he 
would  clear  out  of  the  country. 

"  What  fools  these  people  are,"  said  Pratt,  who 
heard  this.  "  If  the  man  intended  to  leave  the  coun- 
try he  certainly  would  not  pay  his  debts.  Only  a 
heaven-born  ass  would  do  that.  He  would  take  the 
money  himself  and  leave  his  creditors  unpaid."  But 
the  gossips  did  not  see  matters  in  that  light.  They 
were  bent  upon  thinking  the  worst  of  Leo. 

All  this  time  jSIrs  Gabriel  said  nothing,  but  re- 
mained shut  up  in  the  castle.  She  knew  well  enough 
what  was  being  said  about  Leo,  and  could  not  bear 
to  face  anyone,  the  more  particularly  as  she  did  not 
know  how  to  defend  him.  She  denied  herself  to  every- 
one, even  to  Pratt,  although  he  called  several  times  to 
interview  her  on  behalf  of  her  nephew.  The  young 
man  had  a  strong  defender  in  Pratt.  He  went  about 
everywhere  insisting  on  Haverleigh's  innocence.  In 
this  opinion  he  was  supported  by  Sybil,  by  the  curate, 
and,  strange  to  say,  by  IMrs  Bathurst. 

"  The  whole  thing  is  absolute  nonsense,"  said  j\Irs 
Bathurst.  "  Why  should  Air  Haverleigh  be  such  a 
fool?  Mrs  Gabriel  would  have  paid  his  debts  in  the 
long  run.  And  then  if  he  had  not  wished  to  pay  them 
himself,  he  could  have  enlisted  and  slipped  away  to 
Africa  without  anvone  being  the  wiser.    Then  there's 


io6  The  Pagan's  Cup 

another  thing.  He  would  not  commit  a  crime  for  such 
a  purpose.  If  he  was  in  difficulties  before,  he  would 
not  make  them  worse  by  putting  himself  within  reach 
of  the  law."  All  of  which  was  common-sense,  al- 
though Leo's  enemies  were  too  much  bent  on  think- 
ing the  worst  of  him  to  accept  such  a  reasonable  view. 

It  was  while  matters  were  in  this  state  that  Leo 
Haverleigh  returned.  He  drove  up  to  the  castle  one 
night  without  informing  anyone  of  his  coming.  Mrs 
Gabriel  was  amazed  when  he  presented  himself  before 
her.  He  looked  bright  and  cheerful,  not  at  all  like  a 
man  who  had  been  accused  of  a  sordid  crime.  But  it 
must  be  remembered  that  Leo  knew  nothing  of  his 
new  reputation.  All  he  knew  was  that  Pratt,  at  the 
instance  of  Sybil,  had  recalled  him  to  Colester.  He 
thought  that  this  telegram  had  to  do  with  some  new 
difficulty  with  regard  to  his  love  affairs. 

"  Good  evening,  mother,"  he  said  as  he  marched  into 
the  room  where  Mrs  Gabriel  was  sitting.  "  I  have 
returned,  you  see." 

"  And  are  you  not  ashamed  ?  "  cried  Mrs  Gabriel, 
rising,  with  a  wrathful  expression.  "  I  thought  some 
feeling  of  decency  would  have  kept  you  away." 

"  Oh,  come  now,  mother,"  returned  Leo,  trying  to 
keep  his  temper,  "  I  am  not  so  bad  as  all  that.  If  I 
have  been  foolish  and  extravagant,  surely  you  can 
forgive.  Besides,  my  debts  are  paid.  I  am  a  free 
man." 

"  You  won't  be  a  free  man  long,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel, 
grimly.     "  I  am  willing  to  do  what  I  can  for  you, 


Haverleiofii's    Defence  lo: 


"e> 


badly  as  you  have  treated  me.  But  I  cannot  condone 
a  felony !     That  is  out  of  the  question." 

Leo  stared  and  sat  down.  '"  You  use  very  extraor- 
dinary words,"  he  said  at  length.  "  I  never  heard  that 
a  man  who  was  in  debt  could  be  called  a  felon.  Come, 
mother,"  he  went  on,  trying  to  be  amiable — a  difficul. 
task  with  a  woman  like  this.  "  Don't  use  big  words 
for  a  trifle.  I  intended  to  enlist,  but  I  thought  I 
would  come  down  first  to  see  you  and  talk  the  matter 
over.  You  have  been  kind  to  me  and  I  do  not  want 
to  part  in  anger.  Let  us  arrange  matters  in  a  kindly 
spirit." 

Airs  Gabriel  looked  at  him  aghast  at  his  boldness. 
"  How  dare  you  speak  to  me  like  this.  "  she  cried. 
"  Are  you  not  aware  that  everyone  in  Colester  is  talk- 
ing of  your  crime?  " 

"  Crime !  "  Leo  started  to  his  feet.  "  What  crime?  " 
He   looked   bewildered. 

"  As  if  you  didn't  know !  I  wonder  you  have  the 
impertinence  to  come  back  here!  How  much  did  you 
sell  the  cup  for  ?  " 

Leo  still  looked  puzzled.  "  Cup ! "  he  echoed. 
"What  cup?" 

i\Irs  Gabriel  grasped  him  by  the  shoulders  and  shook 
him,  her  eyes  blazing  with  anger.  "  You  are  ab- 
solutely shameless,"  she  cried.  "  I  mean  the  cup 
which  Mr  Pratt  presented  to  the  chapel,  and  you  know 
too!     It  has  been  stolen,  and  you  are  the  thief." 

Haverleigh  stared  at  her  for  a  moment  and  then 
burst  out  laughing.  "  Is  this  a  joke,  mother?  "  he  said 
at  length.     "  If  so,  it  is  a  very  poor  one." 


io8  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  It  is  not  a  joke,"  retorted  Mrs  Gabriel,  still  angry. 
"  The  cup  was  missing  on  the  very  morning  you  went 
up  to  London.  You  stole  it,  Leo,  and  took  it  away 
to  pay  your  debts.     I  never — " 

"  Nor  did  I !"  cried  Haverleigh,  now  beginning  to 
lose  his  temper.  "  Who  dares  to  say  such  a  thing 
about  me  ?  " 

"  The  whole  village  says  it,  and  everyone  believes 
it." 

"Does  Sybil?" 

"  I  don't  know ;  nor  do  I  care.  And  so  far  as  she 
is  concerned,  you  need  not  think  to  marry  her.  Mr 
Tempest  will  never  let  his  daughter  become  the  wife 
of  a—" 

"  Stop !  "  cried  Leo,  before  she  could  utter  the 
shameful  word.  ''  How  dare  you  call  me  by  a  foul 
name?  I  know  perfectly  well  you  hate  me;  but  you 
have  no  right  to  believe  that  I  did  this  thing.  I 
know  that  Sybil  believes  me  guiltless.  She  would 
never  credit  the  man  she  loves  with  such  a  contempti- 
ble crime.  And  Pratt  believes  in  me  also.  He 
sent  me  a  telegram  asking  me  to  come  back.  I  thought 
it  had  to  do  with  some  trouble  you  had  made  over  my 
engagement  to  Sybil.  I  never  expected  this.  How 
dare  you  accuse  me  of  such  a  crim.e  ?  " 

"  The  whole  village  accuses  you,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel, 
passionately.  "  You  have  paid  your  debts.  I  know 
you  have.  Where  did  you  get  the  money  ?  Not  from 
me — not  from  Pratt,  for  I  asked  him.  And  Barker 
saw  you  lurking  about  the  chapel  on  Sunday  night  at 
a  late  hour.    What  were  you  doing  there  if  it  was  not 


Haverleigh's    Defence  109 

to  steal?  Oh,  shame  upon  you,  Leo!  How  can  you 
stand  there  and  deny  your  guilt  ?  " 

"Because  I  am  not  guilty!"  cried  Leo,  furiously. 
**  I  tell  you  I  did  not  steal  the  cup.  I  did  not  even 
know  that  it  was  lost.  I  zms  near  the  chapel  on  that 
night  and  at  that  hour.  I  can  explain  why  I  was 
there." 

"  Explain  then,"  said  IMrs  Gabriel,  with  a  stamp. 

"  Not  to  you,  and  not  until  I  have  thought  over  my 
position.  Everyone  seems  to  have  judged  me  guilty 
without  giving  me  an  opportunity  of  defending 
myself." 

"  You  cannot,"  muttered  Airs  Gabriel.  "  You  dare 
not !  " 

The  scorn  of  her  speech  carried  Leo  beyond  all 
bounds  of  prudence.  He  had  not  intended  to  defend 
himself  until  he  had  consulted  with  Pratt.  The  sit- 
uation was  so  unpleasant  and  dangerous  that  he  wanted 
an  older  and  wiser  head  than  his  own  to  deal  with 
the  matter.  But  j\Irs  Gabriel's  taunt  made  him  forget 
his  resolutions.  *'  I  dare,  and  I  can !  "  he  burst  out. 
*'  I  went  to  the  chapel  to  meet  Sybil.  Her  father  would 
not  let  us  see  one  another,  so  we  had  to  do  so  by 
stealth.  I  was  going  away  on  Monday  morning,  and 
she  wished  for  a  meeting,  as  I  did  myself.  In  her 
pew  she  left  a  note,  and  she  let  me  know  by  signs  dur- 
ing the  service  that  she  had  done  so.  I  looked  in  the 
vicar's  pew  after  the  service  was  over,  and  found  that 
she  asked  me  to  meet  her  at  the  door  of  the  chapel 
shortly  after  nine.  I  was  there,  and  I  saw  old  Barker 
going  away.    I  think  he  saw  me,  but  as  I  did  not  wish 


no  The  Pagan's  Cup 

to  attract  attention,  I  kept  out  of  his  way  as  much  as 
possible.  Sybil  came  about  half-past  nine,  perhaps 
later,  and  we  had  a  talk.  Then  I  took  her  back  to  the 
Vicarage,  and  returned  here  to  sleep.  I  was  on  my 
way  to  Portfront  by  seven  in  the  morning.  That  is  all 
I  kno.w." 

"  A  likely  story,"  sneered  Mrs  Gabriel.  "  I  do  not 
believe  one  word  of  it." 

Leo  looked  at  her  with  great  dignity.  "  If  you  do 
not  choose  to  believe  me  I  cannot  make  you,"  he  said ; 
"  but  from  this  moment  all  is  at  an  end  between  us. 
God  knows  why  you  hate  me  so.  I  have  done  noth- 
ing to  deserve  it.  What  I  have  told  you  is  the  truth. 
Sybil  can  vouch  for  it.  I  have  some  hesitation  in  ask- 
ing her  to  do  so,  as  she  will  have  to  say  that  she  was 
alone  with  me  at  that  late  hour,  and  you  know  well 
what  the  gossips  will  say.  Still,  if  I  am  in  danger  of 
arrest,  she  will  come  forward,  although  I  would  rather 
suffer  myself  than  that  she  should  be  lightly  spoken 
of.  I  shall  see  her,  and  her  father.  For  some  reason 
best  known  to  you,  Mrs  Gabriel,  Mr  Tempest  has 
taken  a  dislike  to  me.  But  he  is  a  just  man,  and  I  am 
sure  he  does  not  believe  me  guilty." 

"  You'd  better  see  him  and  ask,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel, 
tartly.  "  I  say  again  that  I  don't  believe  your  ex- 
planation. Where  did  you  get  the  money  to  pay  your 
debts  if  it  was  not  from  selling  the  cup  ?  " 

"  I  borrowed  it,"  retorted  Leo,  after  a  pause.  "  I 
did  not  intend  to  tell  you,  but  it  seems  I  must,  in  order 
to  clear  my  character.  You  would  not  'help  me,  and 
Pratt  was  not  ready  to  do  so.     I  daresay  if  I  had 


Haverleigh's    Defence  iii 

pressed  him  he  would  have  helped  me,  but  I  did  not 
think  it  right  he  should  pay  for  my  folly.  I  bor- 
rowed the  money,  if  you  must  know,  from  Frank 
Hale." 

Mrs  Gabriel,  who  had  seated  herself,  looked  at  the 
young  man  indignantly. 

"  Why  will  you  tell  these  lies  ?  "  she  said,  trying 
to  speak  calmly.  "  I  had  an  idea  that  Hale  might 
have  assisted  you,  and  I  went  to  see  him.  He  abso- 
lutely denies  that  he  lent  you  a  penny." 

Leo  looked  bewildered.  **  He  denies  the  debt,"  said 
he.  "  Why  he  has  my  acknowledgment!  He  gave  me 
the  three  hundred  pounds  in  gold  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing. I  packed  it  in  a  Gladstone  bag,  and  took  it  to 
London  with  me.  There  I  paid  it  into  my  bank,  and 
gave  my  creditors  cheques  for — " 

"  In  gold !  "  burst  out  Mrs  Gabriel,  contemptuously, 
"  Is  it  likely  that  in  these  days  a  man  would  pay  such 
a  large  sum  otherwise  than  by  checque  ?  Why,  if  you 
said  notes  it  would  be  more  reasonable,  but  gold — 
bah  I " 

■  "  I  tell  you  he  did,"  said  Leo,  now  thoroughly  angry. 
"  I  wondered  myself  at  the  time,  and  I  mentioned  to 
Sybil  how  inconvenient  it  was.  I  asked  Hale  for  notes, 
for  a  cheque,  he  refused  both,  and  said  I  must  take  the 
money  as  he  chose  to  give  it,  or  not  at  all.  He  gave 
it  to  me  in  three  bags,  each  containing  a  hundred  sov- 
ereigns.    I  paid  that  into  my  London  bank." 

"  Oh,  I  daresay  you  did,"  sneered  Mrs  Gabriel. 
"  But  you  should  have  got  a  better  price  for  the 
cup." 


112  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  You  still  believe  me  guilty,"  cried  Leo,  recoiling. 

"  I  do.     Hale  denies  that  he  paid  you  the  money." 

"  I  shall  see  him  about  it  to-morrow,"  said  Leo. 
"  He  will  not  dare  to  deny  what  is  the  truth.  And 
I  leave  the  castle  this  very  night,  Mrs  Gabriel.  I  shall 
never  call  you  '  mother '  again.  You  are  cruel  and 
wicked.     Tell  me  why  you  hate  me  so." 

Mrs  Gabriel's  eyes  flashed.  "  If  I  told  you  that—" 
she  began,  then  closed  her  mouth  and  turned  away. 

"Then  you  do  hate  me?" 

"  Yes.  With  all  my  soul !  "  She  turned  on  him  like 
a  fury.  "  I  have  hated  you  from  the  moment  you 
came  into  my  house.  All  these  years  I  have  been  on 
the  point  of  turning  you  out.  Go  now,  and  never 
darken  my  doors  again.  I  was  a  fool  to  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  you.     Go !     Go !  " 

For  a  moment  Leo  stood  bewildered  at  her  furious 
speech.  He  thought  she  was  mad,  for  he  could  not 
conceive  why  she  should  speak  so.  It  was  useless  to 
talk  or  to  remonstrate,  or  to  seek  an  explanation.  He 
looked  at  her  for  a  moment,  then,  without  a  word,  he 
walked  away.  In  another  quarter  of  an  hour  he  had 
left  the  castle,  bag  and  baggage. 

"  Thank  God !  "  cried  Mrs  Gabriel  when  alone.  "  I 
am  rid  of  him  at  last !  " 


CHAPTER      IX 

A      BAD      REPUTATION 

Pratt  sat  alone  in  his  library.  He  was  not  read- 
ing, for  although  he  had  many  books  he  rarely  looked 
into  one  of  them.  He  collected  rare  editions,  he  in- 
dulged in  gorgeous  bindings,  and  placed  all  his  gath- 
erings on  shelves  behind  glass  doors.  It  was  the  look 
of  the  thing  Pratt  liked.  If  his  collection  had  been 
so  many  volumes  of  blank  pages  he  would  have  been 
just  as  well  pleased. 

As  the  evening  was  cold  there  was  a  fire  in  the 
steel  grate.  The  room  looked  comfortable  and  luxuri- 
ous. It  was  decorated  in  dark  red,  with  bookcases 
of  rosewood,  and  many  busts  of  celebrated  men.  On 
the  desk  stood  a  reading  lamp,  and  this  was  the  only 
light  in  the  room.  Before  the  desk  sat  Pratt.  He 
was  playing  with  a  small  pile  of  precious  stones  which 
he  had  shaken  out  of  a  leathern  belt.  The  jewels 
gleamed  in  the  light  with  rainbow  hues,  and  Pratt 
fingered  them  with  loving  care,  recalling  where  each 
one  had  been  bought  and  found.  He  was  crazy  about 
his  gems,  but  never  showed  them  to  anyone.  More- 
over, in  addition  to  his  liking  for  such  things,  it  was 
a  portable  way  of  carrying  about  his  wealth. 

The  door  opened  softly  and  a  servant  entered.  Pratt 
did  not  turn  his  head,  for  he  knew  the  footstep.    But 


114  The  Pagan's  Cup 

when  he  heard  that  Leo  wished  to  see  him,  he  poured 
the  jewels  back  into  the  belt,  flung  it  into  a  drawer  and 
told  Adam — that  was  the  man's  name — to  admit  Mr 
Haverleigh.  Adam  was  a  tall,  soldierly  looking  man, 
of  the  fair  Saxon  type.  He  had  been  with  Mr  Pratt 
for  years,  knew  all  his  secrets  and  was  absolutely  de- 
voted to  him.  As  well  he  might  be,  for  Pratt  had 
once  saved  his  life.  Adam  never  forgot  the  obligation, 
and  was  Pratt's  devoted  slave. 

"  Hullo,  Leo !  "  said  Pratt,  rising,  when  the  young 
man  entered  the  room.  "  Where  did  you  come 
from  ?  " 

"  From  London,  if  you  want  to  be  precise,"  said 
Leo,  after  shaking  hands.  "  My  bag  is  in  the  hall, 
Pratt." 

*'  What  ?    Have  you  not  been  to  the  castle  ?" 

"  I  have  been  there,  and  I  have  come  away.  In  fact, 
Pratt,  she  has  turned  me  out  at  last.  I  always  knew 
that  it  would  come  to  this." 

As  Leo  sat  down  Pratt  frowned,  and  when  he 
frowned  he  did  not  look  pleased.  "  Ah !"  said  he, 
calmly,  "  so  she  has  turned  you  out — on  account  of 
this  theft,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes.  It  is  the  first  I  ever  heard  of  it !  "  said  Leo, 
looking  up.  "  Your  wire  said  nothing  about  such  an 
accusation.  I  don't  suppose  you  could  very  well  have 
mentioned  it  in  a  telegram.  However,  Mrs  Gabriel  in- 
sisted that  I  had  stolen  the  cup  and  sold  it  in  London 
in  order  to  pay  my  debts.  We  had  a  few  words  on  the 
subject  and  parted.  I  am  now  here  to  ask  you  for  a 
bed!" 


A  Bad  Reputation  115 

"  My  dear  fellow,  you  shall  stay  here  as  long  as 
you  please.  Let  me  ring  for  Adam  to  bring  you 
some  supper !  "  and  Pratt  touched  the  bell. 

"  A  few  sandwiches  and  a  glass  of  port  will  be  suf- 
ficient," said  Leo.  "  I  am  not  in  the  humour  to  eat. 
By  the  way,"  as  Adam  entered,  "  I  see  he  has  got 
back  ?  " 

'*  Who  ?    Adam  ?    Yes.    Where  did  you  meet  him  ?  " 

"  At  Portfront,"  said  Leo,  with  a  nod  to  Adam,  who 
smiled.  "  He  told  me  he  had  been  up  to  London  on 
your  business.  I  gave  him  a  lift  part  of  the  way. 
Didn't  I,  Adam?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  have  got  home  otherwise,  sir,"  said 
Adam,  respectfully,  and  departed  to  get  food  for  his 
benefactor.  Pratt  seemed  pleased  that  his  servant  was 
so  friendly  with  Leo.  He  had  a  great  opinion  of 
Adam's  intelligence.  Also,  Adam  was  a  power  in  the 
house — but  Leo  did  not  know  that.  Later  on,  he 
learned  all  about  it,  to  his  great  astonishment. 

"  Come  nov/,"  said  Pratt,  when  Leo  had  eaten  and 
had  finished  a  glass  or  two  of  port.  "  Tell  me  about 
this  cup.     Did  you  take  it?  " 

"  I  certainly  did  not !  "  said  Leo,  stiffly.  "  I  won- 
der at  your  asking  me  such  a  question,  Pratt !  I  am 
not  a  thief !  " 

His  host  laughed  somewhat  nervously.  "  I  only 
wanted  to  be  sure,  my  dear  lad,"  he  said.  "  Don't 
get  angry  with  your  best  and  only  friend." 

"  T  have  another  friend,"  said  Leo,  looking  up  from 
the  cigar  he  was  cutting,  "  and  that  is  Sybil.  She  does 
not  believe  that  I  am  guilty." 


ii6  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Have  you  seen  her,  then  ?  " 

"  No.  But  I  do  not  want  to  see  her  in  order  to  know 
that.  She  loves  me,  Mr  Pratt,  and  would  never  be- 
lieve me  guilty.  No;  not  though  the  evidence  was 
twice  as  strong  against  me !  " 

"  The  evidence  is  strong,"  said  Pratt,  rubbing  his 
chin.     "  You  were  seen  at  the  chapel,  and — " 

"  And  I  have  paid  my  debts,"  finished  Leo.  "  So 
I  have,  and  I  can  explain  how  I  paid  them ;  also  my 
movements  on  that  night."  And  he  forthwith  related 
to  Pratt  the  story  he  had  already  told  Mrs  Gabriel, 
The  man  believed  him  much  more  readily  than  the 
woman.  But  then  Pratt  liked  Leo,  and  Mrs  Gabriel — 
as  she  had  shown  plainly — hated  him  with  all  the  in- 
tensity of  her  stern  and  cruel  nature. 

"  You  say  that  Hale  lent  you  the  money  ?  "  asked 
Pratt. 

"  As  I  told  you — in  gold." 

"And  he  now  denies  that  he  did  so?" 

"  So  Mrs  Gabriel  says.  But  I  shall  see  for  my- 
self to-morrow." 

Pratt  reflected,  staring  into  the  fire.  "  It  seems  to 
be  a  conspiracy,"  he  said  slowly.  "  I  wonder  what 
his  game  is  ?  " 

Leo  remembered  that  Sybil  had  also  been  uncom- 
fortable when  she  heard  that  Hale  intended  to  lend 
him  the  money.  A  thought  flashed  into  his  mind  as 
Pratt  spoke.  "  I  believe  that  Hale  is  in  love  with 
Sibyl,"  said  he. 

"  Humph !  And  his  sister  Edith  is  in  love  with 
you." 


A  Bad  Reputation  117 

Leo  coloured  a  little  at  this  very  direct  remark.  "  I 
believe  she  is,"  said  he,  with  an  embarrassed  laugh ; 
"  but  I  assure  you,  Pratt,  the  feeling  is  not  recipro- 
cal. The  only  woman  I  have  ever  loved,  whom  I 
shall  ever  love,  is  Sybil  Tempest.  And  tlie  course 
of  our  true  love  does  not  run  smooth,"  he  finished, 
with  a  sigh. 

"  A  conspiracy,"  repeated  Pratt,  who  was  not  pay- 
ing much  attention  to  what  Leo  was  saying.  '*  Yes ! 
I  believe  it  to  be  one.  By  lending  you  that  money 
Hale  hoped  to  get  you  into  his  power,  so  as  to  in- 
duce you  to  give  up  Sibyl  to  him  and  marry  Edith." 

"  If  he  ever  did  have  so  ridiculous  an  idea,"  said 
Leo,  angrily,  "  he  has  thrown  avv-ay  the  fruits  of  it  by 
denying  the  loan." 

"  No !  The  unforseen  has  happened  and  he  is  simply 
making  use  of  the  new  development,"  said  Pratt. 
"  You  are  accused  of  having  sold  this  cup  to  pay  your 
debts.  If  Hale  acknowledged  that  he  gave  you  the 
money  he  would  take  away  the  motive  and  would  in 
a  measure  prove  your  innocence.  That  is  exactly  what 
he  will  not  do.     Unless — "  he  hesitated. 

"■'Unless  I  give  up  Sybil  and  marry  his  sister?" 

"  Precisely,"  replied  Pratt.  "  However,  this  is  only 
a  theory.  You  had  better  wait  until  you  see  Hale 
before  you  make  up  your  mind.  I  don't  mind  mak- 
ing you  a  bet,  Leo,  that  what  Mrs  Gabriel  says  is 
true." 

"  Do  you  think  Hale  will  deny  the  loan  ?  " 

"  I  am  certain  of  it.  I  have  studied  human  nature 
a  great  deal  during  a  not  uneventful  life,  and  if  ever 


ii8  The  Pagan's  Cup 

I  saw  a  crafty  scoundrel  Hale  is  the  man.  I  wish 
you  had  told  me  that  he  was  the  friend  who  was  to 
lend  you  the  money.  I  would  rather  have  found  it 
for  you  myself  than  have  let  you  go  to  him." 

"  I  wish  I  had  spoken  out.  But  it's  too  late  now. 
And  how  did  I  know  the  man  would  be  such  a  scoun- 
drel ?  Not  that  we  yet  can  be  certain  that  he  is,  Pratt. 
Only  the  worst  of  it  is,"  added  Leo,  wrinkling  his 
young  brows,  "  that  I  cannot  now  repay  the  money." 

"  If  he  denies  the  debt  you  will  not  need  to  repay 
it." 

"  I  shall  insist  upon  doing  so  when  I  am  able !  " 
cried  Leo,  vehemently.  "  But  Mrs  Gabriel  won't 
help  me." 

"  I  will  let  you  have  the  three  hundred  pounds," 
said  Pratt. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  should,  Pratt,  As  it  is,  you 
are  too  kind  to  me.  No!  I  will  borrow  no  more. 
This  interview  with  Mrs  Gabriel  has  fixed  my  mind 
as  to  enlisting.  I  shall  see  if  I  can't  arrange  about  the 
money  for  Hale.  I  have  some  jewellery  and  other 
things  I  can  sell.  In  some  way  or  another  I'll  contrive 
to  get  out  of  his  debt." 

"  He  won't  admit  that  you  are  in  his  debt,"  per- 
sisted Pratt ;  "  but  it  is  no  use  talking  all  night  about 
these  things,  Leo.  You  have  a  friend  in  me,  and  as  I 
know  you  are  innocent  I'll  get  you  out  of  this  trouble 
somehow.  To-morrow  you  can  see  Hale  and  Miss 
Sybil." 

"  I'll  see  him  first,"  said  Leo,  grimly,  after  which 
speech — ominous  of  evil — he  retired  to  bed.     Worn 


A  Bad  Reputation  119 

out  with  his  long  journey  and  by  the  anxiety  attendant 
on  his  new  position — which  was  that  of  an  absolute 
pauper — he  soon  fell  into  a  dreamless  sleep.  Pratt 
remained  in  the  library  and  for  a  long  time  sat  watch- 
ing the  dying  fire.  He  also  saw  trouble  ahead,  but  it 
had  to  do  more  with  himself  than  with  his  guest. 

Since  the  illness  of  Pearl,  Sybil  had  attended  to  the 
decorating  of  the  altar.  Sometimes  she  had  the  as- 
sistance of  Peggy  Bathurst.  But  j\Irs  Bathurst,  still 
fearful  lest  Peggy  might  become  engaged  to  the  curate, 
would  not  let  her  come  as  often  to  the  chapel  as  Sybil 
wished.  So  Miss  Tempest  usually  decked  the  altar 
alone.  The  morning  after  Leo's  arrival  she  was  in 
the  chapel  at  mid-day  with  her  arms  full  of  flowers. 
Taking  these  and  the  altar  vessels  into  a  quiet  comer 
she  began  to  arrange  the  blossoms.  While  thus  en- 
gaged she  heard  a  step.  At  once  she  sprang  to  her 
feet  with  the  love-light  in  her  eye.  She  had  no  need 
to  see  the  newcomer.    Her  heart  told  her  it  was  Leo. 

"  My  dear !  "  She  took  him  mto  her  arms.  "  How 
glad  I  am  to  see  you  again !  Oh,  Leo,  I  have  so  many 
sad  things  to  tell  you." 

"  I  know  all,  my  love,"  said  the  young  man,  kissing 
her.  "  I  arrived  last  night  and  saw  Mrs  Gabriel.  She 
did  not  spare  me." 

"Your  mother?" 

"  She  is  no  more  mother  of  mine,  Sybil.  She  told 
me  she  hated  me;  called  me  a  thief,  and  turned  me 
out  of  the  castle.  I  shall  never  enter  it  again — never ! 
Last  night  I  slept  at  Pratt's.    He  was  a  good  Samar- 


i2o  The  Pagan's  Cup 

itan  and  took  me  in.  This  morning  I  went  to  see 
Hale." 

Sybil  clapped  her  hands.  "  Oh,  then  it  is  all  right !  " 
she  cried  joyfully.  "  I  could  have  told  my  father  that 
you  had  got  the  money  from  him,  but  I  thought  it  bet- 
ter you  should  do  so  yourself." 

"  I  can't  do  that  without  Hale  calling  me  a  liar." 

"  Leo !    What  do  you  mean  ?  ' 

"  That  in  the  eyes  of  the  people  here  I  am  both  a  liar 
and  a  thief.  Hale,  whom  I  saw  this  mornmg,  denies 
having  given  me  the  money." 

"  Has  he  spread  that  all  about  the  town  ?"  asked 
Sybil,  scarcely  able  to  believe  her  ears. 

"  No,  he  is  too  clever  for  that.  Now  I  know,  Sybil, 
why  he  gave  me  the  money  in  gold.  So  that  he  might 
be  able  to  deny  the  debt  if  occasion  arose,  as  it  has 
done.  Had  he  given  me  a  cheque  his  signature  would 
have  given  him  the  lie." 

"  But  what  does  he  mean  by  denying  that  he  lent 
you  the  money?  " 

"  Well,  I'll  give  you  Pratt's  theory.  I  believe  it  is 
the  true  one,"  and  the  young  man  rapidly  repeated  the 
conversation  he  had  had  with  the  American  on  the 
previous  evening.    "  So  you  see  you  were  right,  Sybil." 

"  I  knew  it,"  said  Sybil  in  low  tones.  "  Do  you  re- 
member how  I  told  you  on  the  day  of  Mrs  Bathurst's 
picnic?    What  is  to  be  done  now ?  " 

"  There  is  nothing  to  be  done  save  to  fight,"  said 
Leo,  fiercely,  "  and  fight  I  shall.  I  had  intended  to  en- 
list, but  I  shall  not  do  that  until  I  have  cleared  my 
name.    To  leave  here  now  would  be  to  give  colour  to 


A  Bad  Reputation  121 

the  lies  that  are  being  told  about  me.  I  shall  stay 
with  Pratt.  He  is  my  friend,  and  you,  Sybil,  also. 
We  three  will  fight  it  out." 

"  Mr  Raston  is  also  your  friend,  Leo.  He  says  he 
does  not  believe  for  one  moment  that  you  did  what  you 
are  accused  of  doing." 

"  Thank  God  for  that !  How  can  anyone  who  knows 
me  believe  me  guilty  of  so  terrible  a  crime  ?  To  rob  a 
church!  Think  of  it,  Sybil.  Your  father?  Does  he 
beheve  I  did  this  vile  thing?  " 

"  He  suspends  his  judgment,  Leo,  until  he  has  heard 
your  defence." 

"  Alas,  Sybil,  what  defence  can  I  make  save  state 
that  I  am  innocent  ?  I  cannot  make  Hale  confess  that 
he  lent  me  the  money,  and  I  cannot  prove,  inde- 
pendently of  him,  that  he  did  so.  This  morning  he 
coolly  denied  all  knowledge  of  the  loan,  but  said  that 
for  my  sake  he  would  not  speak  of  the  visit  I  had  made 
or  the  threats  I  had  used." 

"  Did  you  use  threats,  Leo?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  I  did,  dear.  But  is  it  not  enough  to 
make  an  honest  man's  blood  boil  to  be  placed  in  such 
a  position  ?  I  threatened  to  give  him  a  thrashing.  But 
when  I  remembered  that  he  was  a  cripple,  of  course  I 
could  not  do  that.  But  for  all  his  physical  weakness, 
he  is  a  venomous  beast.  No,  Sybil,  without  Hale  I  can 
do  nothing."  He  paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  went 
on.  "  I  think  the  best  way  to  do  is  to  wait,"  he  said. 
"  If  this  is  a  plot  on  Hale's  part  he  will  continue  to 
carry  it  out — that  is,  he  will  make  some  proposition  to 


122  The  Pagan's  Cup 

me  about  giving  you  up.  I  don't  suppose  he  will  want 
me  to  marry  his  sister,  now  that  I  am  called  a  thief." 

Sybil  placed  her  hand  over  his  mouth.  "  You  must 
not  be  so  bitter,  Leo.  I  will  not  have  you  revile  your- 
self in  this  way.  Don't  you  think  you  had  better  see 
my  father?  " 

"  What  good  would  that  do,  my  dear?  I  can  only 
tell  the  story  I  tell  you,  and  as  I  have  no  evidence  to 
prove  its  truth,  he  probably  will  not  believe  me.  No, 
Sybil.  It  is  best  for  me  to  remain  quietly  with  Pratt, 
and  wait  until  Hale  makes  some  move.  Besides,  Pratt, 
is  a  clever  man  of  the  world,  and  can  guide  me.  No 
doubt  everyone  will  be  disagreeable,  but  I  must  put  up 
with  that.  I  refuse  to  go  away,  as  though  the  charge 
against  me  were  true.  You  will  see  me  sometimes, 
Sybil?" 

"  Whenever  I  can,"  she  replied ;  "  but  it  will  not  be 
easy.  When  my  father  hears  that  you  are  back  he  will 
be  more  particular  than  ever  to  keep  me  from  meeting 
you." 

Leo  mused.  "  I  wonder  why  he  has  changed  so, 
Sybil?    He  used  to  like  me." 

"  I  think  Mrs  Gabriel  said  something  which  has 
turned  him  against  you." 

"  Very  probably,"  replied  Leo,  bitterly ;  "  for  some 
reason  she  hates  me.  But  all  is  at  an  end  between  us. 
I  wait  here,  Sybil,  to  vindicate  my  character,  and  after- 
wards I  shall  carry  out  my  plan  of  enlisting.  I  may  be 
years  away  from  you,  but  you  will  be  true,  I  know." 

"  I  swear  to  be  true,  Leo !    I  marry  no  one  but  you." 


A  Bad  Reputation  123 

"  Not  even  Hale/'whispered  Leo,  straining  her  to 
his  breast. 

Sybil  laughed.  "  If  I  disliked  him  before,  think  how 
I  hate  him  now !  "  she  said.  "  He  is  acting  a  mean 
part.  But  his  punishment  will  come.  Now  go,  Leo, 
for  my  father  may  come  at  any  moment." 

The  two  lovers  embraced  and  parted.  Leo  went 
away  much  comforted  by  the  belief  Sybil  had  in  his  in- 
nocence. He  returned  to  The  Nun's  House,  and  spent 
the  day  with  Pratt  talking  over  the  position  of  affairs. 
It  was  a  disagreeable  position,  and  at  the  present  mo- 
ment he  could  see  no  way  of  mending  it.  Hale  alone 
could  prove  his  innocence,  and  Hale  refused  to  speak 
out.  Bitterly  did  Leo  regret  that  he  had  ever  been 
tempted  to  believe  in  this  fox. 

The  days  went  by,  and  the  position  remained  much 
the  same  as  it  was.  By  this  time  the  excitement  con- 
sequent on  the  loss  of  the  cup  had  died  out.  Leo  re- 
mained mostly  within  doors,  as  he  did  not  care  about 
meeting  the  cold  looks  of  those  he  had  known  from 
childhood.  Mrs  Gabriel  gave  no  sign,  but  secluded 
herself  within  her  own  grounds.  Once  or  twice  Pratt 
saw  her  on  Leo's  behalf,  but  he  could  do  nothing  with 
her.  However,  he  told  Leo  to  keep  up  his  spirits,  that 
all  would  come  right.  But  how  this  alteration  was 
to  be  brought  about  he  did  not  say.  Pratt  knew  when 
to  keep  his  own  counsel. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  week  Mrs  Jeal  returned. 
Her  father  was  much  better,  she  said,  and  she  had 
come  back  to  look  after  Pearl.  The  mad  girl  was  now 
out  of  bed,  but,  as  yet,  unable  to  leave  the  cottage. 


124  The  Pagan's  Cup 

Someone  had  conveyed  to  her  the  news  of  the  loss — ■ 
Raston  shrewdly  suspected  Joan  Barker — but,  strange 
to  say,  she  was  not  so  upset  about  it  as  had  been 
expected. 

"  The  Master  has  taken  His  cup  to  use  in  heaven," 
she  told  the  curate,  who  often  came  to  sit  with  her. 
"  When  he  thinks  fit  he  will  bring  it  back  again  to  the 
altar." 

Raston  was  puzzled  by  this  queer  view,  but  as  it 
prevented  the  girl  from  fretting  he  outwardly  agreed 
with  her.  Having  settled  the  matter  thus,  Pearl  rarely 
referred  to  the  loss.  She  was  quite  content  to  wait 
until  the  cup  was  restored.  Taking  a  hint  from  Ras- 
ton, Mrs  Jeal  never  discussed  the  matter.  All  the  same 
she  knew  more  about  the  missing  cup  than  the  Coles- 
ter  people  knew.  And  it  was  in  this  way  she  explained 
the  matter  to  Harold  Raston. 

"  Sir,"  she  said  one  day  shortly  after  her  return, 
"  I  want  you  to  get  me  speech  with  his  reverence.  I 
wish  to  make  a  statement  to  him." 

"  Indeed,  Mrs  Jeal!    What  is  the  statement?  " 

"  It  is  about  the  cup,  sir.  But  I  prefer  to  speak  to 
the  vicar  and  to  Mr  Haverleigh.  I  hear  he  is  staying 
with  Mr  Pratt. 

"  I  believe  he  is.  Some  foolish  people  accuse  Tiim 
of  having  stolen  the  cup,  Mrs  Jeal.  I  hope  you  will 
be  able  to  give  us  some  information  likely  to  lead  to 
its  discovery,  so  that  Mr  Haverleigh's  character  can 
be  cleared." 

Mrs  Jeal  screwed  up  her  mouth,  and  sent  out  a  flash 
from   her   wicked    eyes.      She   absolutely   refused   to 


A  Bad  Reputation  125 

speak  save  in  the  presence  of  Mr  Tempest  and  Leo. 
Therefore,  after  a  consultation  with  the  vicar,  Raston 
went  to  see  Leo,  and  asked  him  to  come  to  the  Vicar- 
age. Leo  was  surprised  at  the  summons,  and  not  very 
willing  to  obey  it.  He  resented  the  way  in  which  he 
had  been  treated  by  Mr  Tempest.  Still,  from  what 
was  hinted  by  Mrs  Jeal,  he  fancied  that  she  might  be 
able  to  clear  his  character,  so  he  accompanied  Raston 
to  the  place  of  meeting. 

Mrs  Jeal  was  already  in  the  study,  seated  beside  the 
vicar's  desk.  She  was  dressed  in  her  best,  and  looked 
demure  as  any  cat.  Tempest  reddened  when  he  saw 
Leo,  and  held  out  his  hand.  Leo  refused  to  take  it. 
"  No,  sir,"  he  said  coldly ;  "  you  have  not  treated  me 
well.  I  thought  you  were  my  friend,  but  I  find  you 
believe  me  to  be  a  thief." 

"  Pardon  me,"  replied  Tempest,  suddenly  growing 
hard,  "  I  do  not  say  that  you  took  the  cup.  I  refuse 
to  believe  anything  against  you  until  I  hear  what  you 
have  to  say  in  your  own  defence." 

"  I  make  no  defence,  Mr  Tempest,"  rejoined  Leo. 
"  Sybil  believes  me  guiltless ;  so  does  Pratt ;  Raston 
also  is  my  friend.  I  can  only  wait  until  I  am  vindi- 
cated by  time.  Or  perhaps  Mrs  Jeal  will  prove  to  you 
that  I  did  not  steal  the  cup,"  and  Leo  looked  at  the 
crafty  face  of  the  woman. 

Mrs  Jeal  at  a  nod  from  the  vicar,  rose  and  folded 
her  hands.  "  I  can  prove  that  you  did  steal  it,  Mr 
Haverleigh,"  she  said.  "  I  saw  you  pawn  the  cup  in 
London." 


CHAPTER     X 

THE      PRICE     OF      SILENCE 

F  o  R  a  few  moments  there  was  a  dead  silence.  Tem- 
pest looked  gravely  shocked.  Mrs  Jeal  triumphant, 
and  the  curate  much  disturbed.  He  had  been  so  cer- 
tain of  Leo's  innocence  that  this  precise  evidence  took 
his  breath  away.  Leo  was  thunderstruck,  and  passed 
his  hand  across  his  eyes  to  make  sure  that  he  was  not 
dreaming. 

"  You  saw  me  pawn  what  I  never  had  in  my  pos- 
session !  "   he  said  quietly. 

Mrs  Jeal  shrugged  her  plump  shoulders.  "  I  can 
say  no  more  than  I  know,"  she  said.  ''  Of  course, 
I  quite  expected  you  would  deny  my  story." 

"  I  have  not  heard  it  yet,"  replied  the  accused  man, 
slowly ;  "  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  it.  At  the 
present  moment,  I  declare  most  solemnly  that  I  never 
took  the  cup.  I  did  not  even  know  it  was  stolen 
until  I  returned  from  London." 

"  Where  you  had  pawned  it,"  finished  Mrs  Jeal. 

The  vicar  interposed.  He  was  struck  by  Leo's 
calmness,  which  was  not  that  of  a  guilty  person.  "  I 
think  you  had  better  tell  your  story,  Mrs  Jeal,"  he 
said ;  "  then  we  can  hear  Mr  Haverleigh." 

"  I  thank  you  for  giving  me  a  fair  trial,  Mr  Tern- 


The  Price  of  Silence  127 

pest,"  said  Leo,  quieth-,  and  sat  down  with  his  eyes 
on  the  face  of  the  w"oman. 

Mrs  Jeal  cleared  her  throat,  and  in  a  slow  voice  be- 
gan to  speak.  She  rather  enjoyed  her  position,  and 
made  the  most  of  it.  "  But  before  speaking  of  what 
I  know%  sir,"  she  said,  looking  at  the  vicar,  "  might 
I  ask  if  it  is  true  that  you  have  oftered  a  reward  fqr 
the  recovery  of  the  cup  ? " 

"  I  have  not  done  so  myself,"  said  Tempest,  grave- 
ly ;  "  but  ]\Ir  Pratt,  who  presented  the  cup  to  me, 
has  offered  the  sum  of  fifty  pounds  to  w'homsoever 
will  give  information  likely  to  lead  to  its  recovery. 
If  you  know  of  anything,  ]\Irs  Jeal — " 

'■  ril  get  the  reward,"  said  the  woman^  a  greedy 
light  in  her  small  eyes.  "  Yes,  sir,  I  do  know  of 
something.  I  went  up  to  Battersea,  in  London,  to  see 
my  father,  who  is  ill.  He  is  a  retired  gardener,  your 
reverence,  and  has  invested  his  savings  in  a  seed 
shop.  My  mother  is  still  alive,  and  she  looks  after 
him.  They  do  fairly  well  out  of  the  shop,  and,  of 
course,  your  reverence,  I  give  them  some  assistance, 
as  becomes  an  only  child. 

"  This  is  not  to  the  point,  ]\lrs  Jeal !  " 

"  I  am  coming  to  the  point  shortly,"  said  the  wo- 
man, with  a  look  at  Leo,  who  made  no  remark ;  "  but 
it  is  necessary  that  your  reverence  should  understand 
how  it  was  that  I  came  to  see  Mr  Haverleigh  taking 
the  cup  to  Old  Penny's  pawmshop." 

Leo  could  bear  it  no  longer,  and  started  to  his 
feet.  "  It  is  absolutely  false !  "  he  exclaimed  passion- 
ately.    "  I  did  not  pawn  the  cup.     I  never  had  it  in 


128  The  Pagan's  Cup 

my  possession.  I  was  never  in  Battersea  in  my  life, 
and  I  do  not  know  the  name  of  Penny." 

"  Better  wait  and  hear  the  story,  Leo,"  said  Tem- 
pest in  a  more  friendly  tone.  He  was  beginning  to 
be  impressed  by  the  bearing  of  the  young  man.  Even 
in  the  face  of  Mrs  Jeal's  evidence,  he  thought  Leo 
might  be  innocent.  After  all,  the  evidence  was  cir- 
cumstantial, and  that  is  not  always  to  be  relied  upon. 
"  You  shall  have  every  justice,"  he  said,  patting  Leo's 
shoulder. 

"  I  know  what  I  know,"  said  Mrs  Jeal  when  Leo 
sat  down  again.  "  One  evening  last  week  I  was  out 
late.  I  had  been  to  get  some  medicine  for  my  dear 
father.  In  Barry  Street  there  is  a  pawnshop  kept  by 
an  old  man  called  Penny.  I  have  known  it  most  of 
my  life.  As  I  passed  I  saw  Mr  Haverleigh  ahead  of 
me.     He  did  not  stop  immediately  at  the  shop." 

"  You  saw  me! "  cried  Leo,  bewildered.  "  How  was 
I  dressed  ? " 

"  In  a  blue  serge  suit,  with  a  hard,  fawn-coloured 
hat,"  said  Mrs  Jeal,  glibly.  "  Over  your  arm  you 
carried  a  coat,  and  under  it  you  had  a  parcel.  It  was 
the  cup." 

"  You  are  telling  a  pack  of  lies !  "  said  Leo,  an- 
grily. "  How  did  you  know  the  cup  was  in  the 
parcel  ?  " 

"  Wait  and  you  shall  hear,"  said  Mrs  Jeal,  tartly. 
"  I  do  not  care  about  being  hurried.  You  passed  the 
shop;  I  recognized  you  at  once  and  wondered  what 
you  were  doing  in  so  poor  a  quarter  of  the  town.  Of 
course  I  knew  that  the  cup  had  been  stolen,  but  I  never 


The  Price  of  Silence  129 

thought  that  you  had  it  under  your  arm.  You  had  a 
silk  muffler  round  your  throat  ahhough  the  evening 
was  warm,  and  apparently  you  wished  to  escape  ob- 
servation. I  was  determined  to  find  out  what  you 
were  doing  so,  I  followed  you.  You  went  round  the 
block  until  it  grew  darker.  Then  you  returned  to  the 
shop,  and  entered.  I  waited  on  the  other  side  of  the 
road.  In  half-an-hour  you  came  out  again.  You 
had  the  great-coat  on  and  your  hands  in  your  pocket. 
After  looking  up  and  down  the  street  to  see  if  anyone 
was  observing  you  I  saw  you  walk  rapidly  to  the  end. 
I  did  not  follow  as  I  was  anxious  to  see  why  you 
had  been  to  the  pawnshop." 

"Why  all  this  anxiety,  Mrs  Jeal?"  asked  Tem- 
pest, annoyed. 

"  Well,  sir !  of  course  I  know  that  IMrs  Gabriel  does 
not  approve  of  Mr  Haverleigh's  behaviour — " 

"  That  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter,"  inter- 
posed ]\Ir  Tempest,  sternly,  and  Leo  gave  him  a  grate- 
ful look.     "  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  state  facts." 

Mrs  Jeal  dropped  an  ironical  curtsey.  "  Very  good, 
sir,"  said  she ;  "  but  I  must  say  that  I  thought  Mrs 
Gabriel  had  cut  oft  ]\Ir  Haverleigh's  allowance  and 
tliat  he  was  pawning  some  jewellery  to  keep  himself 
in  bread." 

"  I  never  pawned  anything  in  my  life,"  said  Leo, 
disgusted  at  the  plain  spite  of  the  woman.  "  Go  on, 
Mrs  Jeal.     You  saw  this  man  Penny,  no  doubt  ?  " 

"  I  did  that !  "  cried  the  woman,  triumphantly.  "  I 
have  known  him  for  many  years.  I  went  into  the 
shop  and  into  his  back  parlour.     On  the  table  I  saw 


I30  The  Pagan's  Cup 

the  cup.  Yes,  gentlemen,  you  no  doubt  are  surprised. 
But  it  was  the  very  cup  I  had  so  often  seen  on  the 
altar  of  the  chapel." 

"  It  is  wholly  false !  "  cried  Leo,  rising,  "  I  never 
pawned  the  cup.  Someone  must  have  impersonated 
me." 

"  It  was  yourself,  Mr  Haverleigh,"  insisted  the  wo- 
man. "  I  had  a  talk  with  Old  Penny,  but  of  course 
I  said  nothing  about  having  seen  the  cup  before.  I 
did  not  mention  that  I  knew  you.  Penny  told  me 
that  he  had  given  you  four  hundred  for  the  cup.  It 
was  worth  much  more  he  said,  and  he  was  chuckling 
over  the  bargain  he  had  made.  I  left  the  cup  in  his 
possession  and  returned  home.  Several  times  I  went 
to  the  shop  to  hear  if  you  had  redeemed  the  cup.  But 
it  was  still  with  Penny.  I  then  had  to  attend  to  my 
father  and  gave  the  matter  little  thought.  But  when 
I  returned  and  heard  how  you,  Mr  Haverleigh,  had 
stolen  the  cup,  it  became  my  duty  to  let  his  reverence 
know  what  you  had  done  with  it.  And  I  hear,"  added 
Mrs  Jeal,  with  a  malignant  smile,  "  that  your  debts 
have  been  paid." 

"Who  told  you  so?"  asked  Raston,  who  hitherto 
had  been  silent. 

"  Mrs  Gabriel.  I  went  to  tell  her  what  Mr  Haver- 
leigh had  done.  She  said  that  she  expected  as  much, 
as  she  had  refused  to  give  him  the  money  to  pay  his 
debts.  So  that  is  all  I  know.  I  am  prepared  to  take 
my  oath  in  a  court  of  law  that  this  is  true." 

There    was    a    pause.     Then     Tempest    observed 


The  Price  of  Silence  131 

quietly,  "  If  that  is  all  you  have  to  tell,  ]\Irs  Jeal,  you 
can  go.     I  will  speak  to  !Mr  Haverleigh." 

"  But  will  I  not—" 

"  You  will  do  nothing,"  interrupted  the  vicar.  "  Go 
away  and  hold  your  togue,  lest  you  get  into  trouble." 

"  You're  going  to  let  him  off,  I  see,"  said  Mrs  Jeal, 
with  a  toss  of  her  grey  head.  "  Well,  I  have  done  my 
share.  Good-day,  gentlemen,"  and  she  sailed  out  of 
the  room  quite  satisfied  that  she  had  ruined  Leo. 

When  the  three  were  alone  Tempest  addressed  Leo, 
W'ho  sat  silently  beside  the  table.  "'  Leo,"  he  said  sad- 
ly, "  I  do  not  want  you  to  get  into  trouble.  If  you 
will  confess  to  me  that  you  did  what  ]\Irs  Jeal  says 
I  will  see  about  getting  the  cup  back  and  say  nothing 
more  about  the  matter.  I  will  give  you  money  to 
leave  the  town." 

"  I  tell  you  I  am  innocent !  "  cried  Leo  passionately. 
"  Why  do  you  want  me  to  confess  a  crime  of  which 
I  am  not  guilty?  I  shall  not  leave  Colester.  Here 
I  stay  until  my  innocence  is  acknowledged." 

"  But  the  evidence  against  you,"  urged  the  vicar, 
sorely  perplexed.  "  You  were  seen  about  the  chapel 
on  the  night  the  cup  was  stolen.  Your  debts  are  paid, 
yet  IMrs  Gabriel  did  not  give  you  the  money,  and  you 
have  none  of  your  own.  And  now  i\Irs  Jeal  says 
she  saw  you  pawn  the  sacred  vessel." 

"  I  admit  that  the  evidence  is  strong,"  said  Leo, 
recovering  his  calmness.  "  All  the  same  I  am  guilt- 
less. I  was  at  the  chapel  on  that  night.  I  was  to  meet 
Svbil  since  vou  had  forbidden  me  to  meet  her." 


132  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Please  leave  my  daughter's  name  out  of  this," 
said  Tempest,  an  angry  spot  on  each  cheek.  He  was 
annoyed  at  the  mention  of  the  meeting,  but  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Raston  he  controlled  himself  out  of  pride. 

''  I  can't  leave  Sybil's  name  out  of  it,"  said  Leo, 
sadly.  "  I  would  if  I  could ;  but  she  is  as  anxious  as 
I  am  that  I  should  recover  my  good  name.  I  did  meet 
Sybil,  and  she  will  tell  you  that  I  left  her  at  the  door 
of  the  Vicarage  before  ten  o'clock.  I  therefore  could 
not  have  stolen  the  cup.  I  got  the  money  to  pay  my 
debts  from  Frank  Hale." 

"  From  Hale  ?  Then  he  will  say  as  much !  "  cried 
the  vicar.  "  This  will  go  far  to  prove  your  inno- 
cence, Leo." 

"  I  don't  think  Hale  will  help  me  much,"  said  Leo, 
coldly.  '*  However,  we  can  talk  of  that  later,  or  you 
can  see  Hale  for  yourself,  Mr  Tempest.  But  I  de- 
clare most  solemnly  that  Hale  lent  me  the  money. 
As  to  pawning  the  cup,  I  said  before,  and  I  say  again, 
that  I  did  no  such  thing.  I  did  not  take  the  cup.  I 
was  never  in  Battersea,  and  I  do  not  know  the  man 
Mrs  Jeal  calls  Old  Penny.  If  you  want  to  have  me 
arrested,  Mr  Tempest,  you  will  find  me  at  Mr  Pratt's. 
Far  from  wishing  to  run  away,  I  court  an  investi- 
gation." 

"  Leo,"  stammered  the  vicar,  restlessly,  "  I  do  not 
want  to  get  you  into  any  trouble.    If  I  can  helfD — " 

"  I  am  in  the  deepest  trouble,"  returned  Leo,  "  and 
more  will  not  matter.  You  can  have  me  arrested  if 
you  like.  I  know  that  Sybil  believes  me  to  be  inno- 
cent, so  does  Pratt.     I  do  not  care  for  anvone  else's 


The  Price  of  Silence  133 

opinion.  I  think  you  are  treating  me  cruelly,  Mr 
Tempest,  and  some  day  you  will  be  sorry  that  you 
showed  so  little  charity.  I  go  now,  and  I  shall  not 
see  you  again  until  such  time  as  you  give  evidence 
against  me  in  court,"  and  with  this  last  bitter  speech 
Leo  walked  out  of  the  room  with  his  head  in  the  air. 

The  two  clergymen  looked  at  one  another.  They 
did  not  know  very  well  what  to  say.  Tempest  sat 
down  with  a  sigh.     ''  I  do  not  know  what  to  think." 

"I  do,"  said  Raston,  sharply.  "  Notwithstanding 
the  woman's  story,  I  still  believe  that  Haverleigh  is 
guiltless.  Circumstances  have  so  culminated  that  he 
appears  to  be  in  the  wrong.  There  is  a  mystery  about 
the  whole  of  this  affair,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  Haver- 
leigh has   some   enemy." 

"  That  may  be  so,"  admitted  Tempest,  struck  by 
this  remark.  "  But  what  is  to  be  done?  I  can't  have 
Leo  arrested.  Even  if  he  were  guilty,  which  I  am 
now  inclined  to  doubt,  I  cannot  ruin  his  life." 

"  \\'hat  we  need,"  replied  the  curate,  "  is  some 
clever  man  who  will  get  to  the  bottom  of  this.  If 
you  can  spare  me  for  a  few  days,  Mr  Tempest,  I  will 
go  to  London  and  see  Marton  ?  " 

"Marton?"  repeated  the  vicar.  "Who  is  Mar- 
ton?" 

Raston  laughed.  "  Such  is  fame,"  said  he.  lightly. 
"  Marton  is  one  of  the  best  detectives  in  England.  He 
was  leaving  college  w-hen  I  went  up,  and  w^e  met  for 
a  few  weeks.  When  I  was  curate  in  the  Battersea 
slums  I  met  him  again,  as  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
with  the  criminal  classes.     We  renewed  our  colleg-e 


134  The  Pagan's  Cup 

friendship,  and  I  still  write  to  him.  Now,  with  your 
permission,  Mr  Tempest,  I  will  put  this  case  into 
Marton's  hands.  It  is  just  the  kind  of  mystery  he 
would  love  to  solve." 

"The  man  is  a  gentleman,  I  suppose,  Raston?" 

"  Certainly.  He  is  my  friend.  I  know  the  pawn- 
shop of  Old  Penny.  He  is  a  Scotsman,  if  you  can 
grasp  the  idea  of  a  Scotsman  keeping  a  pawnshop.  I'll 
tell  Marton  the  whole  case,  and  we  can  then  go  to  this 
shop.     If  possible,  we  may  get  back  the  cup.'' 

"  Who  is  to  pay  four  hundred  pounds  for  it?"  asked 
Tempest. 

"  We'll  see,"  replied  Raston,  quietly.  "  I  shall  do 
nothing  without  Marton's  advice.  Have  I  your  per- 
mission ?  " 

Tempest  nodded.  "  I  think  it  is  the  best  thing  you 
can  do.  Go  to  London  and  keep  me  advised  of  every- 
thing. I  should  like  to  know  Mr  Marton's  opinion  of 
the  matter." 

"  It  is  probable  he'll  come  down  here  later  on,"  said 
the  curate ;  "  but  in  the  meantime,  Mr  Tempest,  do 
nothing  to  Haverleigh." 

"  I  promise  you  that,"  replied  the  vicar,  and  the 
matter  being  settled  in  this  way,  the  two  men  shook 
hands.  Afterwards  Raston  went  to  prepare  for  his 
departure. 

While  this  was  taking  place,  Leo  was  talking  in  the 
chapel  with  Hale.  Haverleigh  had  gone  up  to  see  if 
Sybil  was  about,  as  he  wished  to  tell  her  of  this  new 
development  of  the  conspiracy  against  him.  Leo  felt 
sure  by  this  time  that  there  was  a  conspiracy,  and  that 


The  Price  of  Silence  135 

Hale  was  concerned  in  it.  He  was  therefore  rather 
pleased  when  he  saw  the  cripple  walking  up  the  hill 
before  him.  Leo  made  up  his  mind  to  force  the  truth 
out  of  him,  and  hurried  on  so  as  to  catch  him.  Hale 
heard  his  steps,  and  turned  with  a  queer  smile  on  his 
face.  He  was  not  at  all  abashed  by  the  presence  of 
the  man  to  whom  he  had  told  a  lie,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, welcomed  him  in  the  most  friendly  manner. 
Haverleigh  was  irritated  by  this  false  behaviour. 
"  Either  you  think  me  innocent,  and  wish  to  be  my 
friend,"  he  said,  "  or  you  believe  that  I  am  guilty  and 
have  some  reason  to  be  feigning  good  fellowship.  I 
must  have  some  understanding  with  you.  Hale.  Come 
into  the  chapel.  We  will  not  be  disturbed  there  as  it 
is  mid-day  and  everyone  is  at  dinner,"  and  Leo,  with- 
out waiting  for  a  reply,  entered  the  door. 

The  chapel  was  empty ;  even  Sybil  was  not  in  sight. 
Hearing  the  halting  steps  of  the  cripple  behind  him, 
Leo  led  the  way  into  the  crusaders'  chapel,  where  he 
sat  down  beside  one  of  the  tombs.  Hale  paused  be- 
fore him  and  looked  down  in  a  whimsical  manner. 
"  You  have  chosen  a  strange  place,"  he  said,  looking 
round. 

"  It  is  a  sacred  place,"  replied  Leo,  coolly ;  "  and  you 
may  be  the  less  inclined  to  tell  lies.  I  presume  you 
have  some  religion." 

"  How  dare  you  say  I  tell  lies?  "  cried  the  baronet, 
scowling. 

"  Because  I  have  had  some  experience  of  your  capa- 
bility in  that  direction.     And  now  I  should  like  to 


136  The  Pagan's  Cup 

know  what  you  mean  by  denying  that  you  lent  me  the 
three  hundred  pounds  ?  " 

Hale  shrugged  his  unshapely  shoulders  and  sat 
down  with  a  painful  effort,  placing  his  crutch  beside 
him.  "  You  were  fool  enough  to  speak  to  me  in  the 
presence  of  my  sister,"  he  said.  "  I  could  only  say 
what  I  did  say.  Now  that  we  are  alone  I  am  willing 
to  answer  any  questions  you  may  put  to  me." 

"  You  will  answer  truthfully,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  Assuredly.  It  is  time  we  understood  one  an- 
other.    Go  on." 

"  You  lent  me  three  hundred  pounds  ?  "  said  Leo, 
in  the  form  of  a  query. 

"  In  gold,"  assented  Sir  Frank,  coolly. 

"  Why  did  you  lend  it  to  me  in  gold?  " 

"  A  whim  of  mine." 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  said  Leo,  slowly.  "  You  had 
some  scheme  in  your  head.  I  believe  you  wanted  to 
deny  the  loan  if  you  found  it  convenient," 

"  You  are  very  clever,  Haverleigh.  That  is  just 
what  I  did  want.  Had  I  given  you  a  cheque  you 
could  have  proved  the  loan.  Even  notes  might  have 
shown  the  truth.  But  I  wanted  to  be  free  to  act  as 
I  pleased,  so  I  went  to  the  trouble  of  getting  gold 
from  the  bank." 

"  Then  it  seems  to  me  that  you  had  this  cup  stolen 
by  some  confederate,  and  intended  to  lay  the  blame 
on  me  so  as  to  get  me  into  a  trap !  " 

"  Indeed,  no,"  protested  Hale,  so  loudly  that  Leo 
believed  he  was  speaking  the  truth.  "  The  stealing 
of  the  cup,  and  the  subsequent  blame  being  thrown  on 


The  Price  of  Silence  137 

you,  was  unexpected.  But  I  took  advantage  of  the 
opportunity.  You  can  prove  your  innocence  only  by 
my  help,  Haverleigh,  and  I  give  my  evidence  only 
on  conditions." 

"  I  was  prepared  for  such  a  speech,"  said  Leo, 
calmly ;  "  but  it  won't  do,  my  friend.  You  must  go  to 
Tempest  and  tell  him  that  you  gave  me  three  hun- 
dred pounds  to  pay  my  debts.  Perhaps  then  he  may 
disbelieve  this  ridiculous  story  of  my  being  a  thief." 

Hale  sat  up  alertly.  "  Then  you  didn't  steal  the 
cup?  " 

"  Certainly  not.  How  dare  you  suggest  such  a 
thing?  I  suspect  you  know  more  about  the  loss  of 
the  cup  than  I  do." 

The  baronet  looked  down  on  his  crooked  leg  and 
smiled  ironically.  "  Do  you  mean  to  infer  that  I 
thrusi  this  misshapen  body  through  that  window  ?  " 

"  No !  But  you  have  plenty  of  money  to  pay  for 
any  rascality." 

"  I  am  not  so  fond  of  parting  with  money,"  said 
Hale,  dryly.  "  I  know  nothing  about  the  cup.  But 
I  really  thought  you  stole  it.     Airs  Jeal's  tale — " 

"Ha!"  Leo  started  up.  "She  told  you  that? 
Why?" 

"  Because  she  is  a  woman  who  is  fond  of  money," 
said  Hale,  quietly.  "  Knowing  that  my  sister  is  in 
love  with  you,  Haverleigh,  she  came  to  threaten  me. 
She  declared  that  she  would  proclaim  you  a  thief  if 
I  did  not  pay  her.  It  was  her  belief  that  such  a  course 
would  break  my  sister's  heart." 

"And  what  did  you  do?" 


138  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  I  told  her  I  would  inform  the  police  if  she  dared 
to  speak  to  me  in  that  manner  again.  I  believe  she 
then  went  to  the  vicar.  But  if  I  come  forward,  Hav- 
erleigh,  and  state  that  I  lent  you  the  money,  it  will 
go  a  long  way  towards  clearing  you.  Of  course,  I  do 
not  understand  this  pawning  business.  The  woman 
says  she  saw  you." 

"  She  saw  my  double,  or  someone  dressed  up  to  re- 
semble me,"  said  Leo,  vehemently ;  "  but  she  did  not 
see  me.     I  was  never  near  the  shop." 

"  So  you  say,"  said  Hale,  smiling  cruelly.  "  How- 
ever, you  must  see  that  I  can  help  you.  I  will  do  so 
on  one  condition — no,  on  two." 

"  I  can  guess  the  two,"  said  Leo,  looking  at  his 
mean  face.  "  You  want  me  to  surrender  Sybil  so 
that  you  may  marry  her,  and  to  make  your  sister  my 
wife  ?     Is  that  not  so  ?  " 

Hale  smiled  again.  "  You  save  me  the  trouble  of 
an  explanation,"  he  said. 

"  Then  I  absolutely  refuse  to  do  what  you  want, 
Hale.  I  respect  your  sister,  who  is  a  kind  and  good- 
hearted  girl;  but  I  do  not  love  her,  and  not  for  all 
the  gold  in  the  world  would  I  marry  her.  On  the 
other  hand,  nothing  will  induce  me  to  give  up  Sybil. 
She  shall  never  become  your  wife.  I  wonder  you 
have  the  impertinence  to  propose  such  a  thing  to 
me!" 

"  If  you  don't  do  what  I  ask,"  said  Hale,  very  pale 
and  venomous,  "  I  shall  refuse  to  help  you.  I  shall 
deny  that  I  lent  you  the  money." 

"  Deny  what  you  please !  "   Leo  walked  to  the  door 


The  Price  of  Silence  139 

of  the  chapel.  "  Everything  is  in  your  favour,  and 
you  can  have  me  arrested  if  you  choose.  But  I  decHne 
to  sell  my  love  to  buy  my  safety.  Good-day,  Hale," 
and  he  marched  away. 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE      LONDON      DETECTIVE 

Sybil  had  seen  Leo  go  into  the  room  where  her 
father  was  waiting  with  Mrs  Jeal,  and  wondered  what 
the  woman  had  to  do  with  her  lover.  She  was  called 
out  to  see  a  sick  woman  on  behalf  of  her  father,  and 
on  her  way  home  bethought  herself  how  she  could  see 
Leo.  The  girl  was  in  a  perfect  fever  of  nervous  fear 
for  the  young  man.  Then  it  struck  her  that  the  best 
thing  to  do  would  be  to  call  at  Mr  Pratt's.  No  sooner 
had  she  made  up  her  mind  to  brave  her  father's  anger 
in  this  respect  than  she  went  at  once  to  The  Nun's 
House.  She  feared  if  she  delayed  that  her  courage 
might  evaporate. 

The  door  was  opened  by  Adam,  who  explained  that 
Mr  Pratt  was  from  home.  "  He  went  into  Portfront 
to-day,  miss,"  said  Adam.  "  I  only  hope  he  will  be 
able  to  bet  back  this  night,  as  there  is  a  sea-fog  coming 
up  the  Channel." 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  his  losing  the  road,  Adam," 
said  Sybil,  cheerfully;  "but  I  don't  want  to  see  Mr 
Pratt.     It  is  Mr  Haverleigh  who—" 

"  He  is  in  the  library,  miss,"  replied  Adam,  and 


The  London  Detective  141 

admitted  her  into  the  house.  When  Sybil  found  her- 
self alone  with  Leo  she  had  a  qualm.  What  would 
her  father  say  should  he  ever  come  to  know  that  she 
had  paid  such  a  visit?" 

Leo  was  seated  at  the  desk,  his  face  hidden  in  his 
arms,  looking  most  dejected.  He  lifted  his  head  as 
she  entered,  and,  at  the  sight  of  his  face,  Sybil  forgot 
all  about  her  father  and  the  impropriety  of  the  visit. 
At  once  she  ran  to  her  lover,  and  drew  his  head  down 
on  to  her  breast  with  a  look  of  almost  divine  pity. 
"  My  darling  Leo,"  she  said,  *'  I  knew  that  you  were 
miserable,  and  I  have  come  to  comfort  you." 

"  How  good  of  you,  dear !  "  replied  Haverleigh, 
stroking  her  hair ;  "  but  your  father  ?  I  did  not  think 
he  would  let  you  come  to  me." 

"  My  father  does  not  know  that  I  am  here,"  said 
Sybil,  blushing,  as  he  placed  a  chair  for  her ;  "  but  I 
knew  you  had  been  to  see  him,  and  I  could  not  rest 
tmtil  I  heard  all  about  the  interview.  Was  he  very 
angry  ?  " 

'*  No ;  I  think  he  is  inclined  to  believe  in  my  inno- 
cence in  spite  of  Mrs  Jeal's  story.  And  Heaven  knows 
she  has  painted  me  black  enough !  " 

"  I  wondered  what  Mrs  Jeal  was  doing  at  the  Vic- 
arage, Leo;  I  don't  like  that  woman.  She  looks  sly 
and  wicked.  But  what  story  can  she  have  to  tell  about 
you,  dear?  " 

"  Sybil,  she  says  that  she  say  me  pawning  the  cup  in 
London,"  and  while  Sybil,  filled  with  surprise,  sat  look- 
ing at  his  agitated  face.  Leo  told  all  that  Mrs  Jeal  had 
said.     •'  So  you  see,  dear,"  he  continued,  "  that  there 


142  The  Pagan's  Cup 

is  some  sort  of  conspiracy  against  me.  I  believe  Hale 
is  in  it  too." 

"  It  is  a  strange  story,"  she  said  musingly.  "  I  won- 
der who  it  was  could  have  impersonated  you?  Did 
the  man  give  your  name?" 

"  By  Jove !  "  cried  Leo,  starting  up,  "  I  never 
thought  of  asking.  Yet  the  rascal  must  have  given  it 
for  the  pawn-ticket.  Sybil,  I  can't  help  thinking  that 
Hale  knows  something  about  this.  He  saw  me  in  the 
chapel  an  hour  ago  and  said  that  he  would  make  a 
statement  to  the  effect  that  he  had  paid  me  the  money 
if  I  would  give  you  up  and  marry  his  sister." 

Sybil's  eyes  flashed.  "How  dare  he?"  she  cried. 
"  He  wants  to  drive  you  into  a  corner,  Leo.  What 
did  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  him,  dear. 
He  can  join  with  your  father  in  having  me  arrested 
for  all  I  care.  I  would  rather  that  than  give  up  my 
Sybil !  But  you  see  the  position.  What  is  to  be 
done?" 

"  Can't  you  go  to  London  and  see  this  man 
Penny?" 

"  No.  I  dare  not  leave  the  place.  Your  father  and 
the  others  would  think  that  I  was  seeking  safety  in 
flight.  I  might  be  arrested  before  I  got  as  far  as 
Portfront.  I  don't  say  that  your  father  would  go  so 
far  but  there  is  always  the  chance.  I  am  sure  Mrs 
Gabriel  would  not  counsel  mercy.  For  some  unac- 
countable reason  she  hates  me  thoroughly." 

"  My  poor  Leo !  "  Sybil  stroked  his  cheek.  '"  Fate 
is  very  cruel  to  you.     But  never  mind.     In  spite  of 


The  London  Detective  143 

everything  I  will  be  true  to  you.  And  what  is  more, 
Leo,  I'll  help  you  to  prove  your  innocence." 

"  How  can  you  do  that,  my  love  ?  " 

She  pursed  up  her  pretty  mouth,  and,  crossing  her 
slender  feet,  looked  on  the  groimd  with  an  air  of  por- 
tentous gravity.  "  I  don't  believe  this  story  of  Mrs 
Jeal's,"  she  said ;  "  there  is  something  behind  it.  As 
you  cannot  go  to  London — and  I  see  it  would  be  fool- 
ish of  you  to  go  away  from  Colester  at  present — we 
must  do  the  best  we  can  through  the  newspapers." 

Leo  looked  at  her  in  surprise,  and  knelt  beside  her. 
"What  can  we  do  with  the  newspapers,  darling?" 

"  Put  an  advertisement  in  every  London  daily  pa- 
per saying  that  the  cup  has  been  lost,  giving  a  descrip- 
tion, and  offering  a  reward  if  any  information  is  given 
to  me." 

"To  yoii,  Sybil!  What  would  your  father  say?" 

"  He  won't  know.  Besides,  Leo,  darling,  you  are 
more  to  me  even  than  my  father,  and  I  am  angry  at 
the  unjust  way  in  which  you  are  being  treated.  I 
will  write  out  a  number  of  these  advertisements,  and 
send  them  up  with  post-office  orders.  The  replies  to 
be  sent  to  '  S.  T.  Colester  Post-office.'  " 

"But  what  good  will  that  do?" 

"  Oh,  you  stupid  darling !  I  have  to  think  for  two, 
I  see.  Why,  this  pawnbroker — what  is  his  name? — 
Penny.  W^ell,  if  Penny  sees  the  advertisement,  he 
will  recognise  the  cup  from  the  description,  and  know 
that  it  has  been  stolen.  He  will  be  afraid  of  getting 
into  trouble  with  the  police,  and  he  no  doubt  will 
write  saying  that  the  cup  was  pawned  with  him  and 


144  Th.Q  Pagan's  Cup 

that  he  will  be  willing  to  sell  it  back  for  the  price  paid. 
Then  we'll  get  it  back,  Leo.  When  I  am  certain,  I'll 
tell  my  father,  and  he  will  arrange  about  buying  it 
again." 

''  Yes.     But  how  does  all  this  benefit  me?  " 

"  This  Penny  creature  will  explain  who  pawned  it, 
and  he  will  give  the  name  of  the  person  Mrs  Jeal  said 
resembled  you.  He  might  do  that  if  the  matter  were 
made  public  by  advertisement.  If  w^e  approach  him 
privately  he  will  very  likely  deny  everything.  We 
can't  be  too  careful,  Leo." 

"  But  the  reward,"  said  Haverleigh,  puzzled.  "  I 
have  no  money ;  you  have  no  money.  What  will  you 
do?" 

"  When  the  cup  is  back,  or  if  information  is  given 
likely  to  recover  it,  I  am  sure  my  father  can  arrange 
about  the  money  with  Airs  Gabriel.  Now  do  not  say 
a  word,  Leo.  She  has  nothing  to  do  with  you  now. 
And,  after  all,"  added  Sybil,  naively,  "  I  don't  see  why 
any  money  need  pass.  This  is  a  trap  I  am  laying  for 
that  pawnbroker.  That  is  if  Mrs  Jeal's  story  is  true, 
which  I  am  inclined  to  doubt.  I'll  put  the  advertise- 
ment in  on  chance,  Leo,  and  see  what  comes  of  it." 

"  But  it  is  such  a  mad  idea,"  remonstrated  the 
young  man,  who  could  not  follow  all  these  feminine 
arguments.  "  Let  me  tell  Pratt  about  your  sugges- 
tion.    He  will  be  able  to  advise  us." 

Sybil  rose  to  her  feet  and  shook  her  head  obsti- 
nately. "  If  you  say  a  word  to  Mr  Pratt  I'll  never 
forgive  you.     Let  me  try  this  experiment  all  alone. 


The  London  Detective  145 

Leo,  dear.     It  can  do  no  harm,  and  it  might  do  a  lot 
of  good.     We  must  not  tell  anyone  about  it." 

"  Sybil,  I  kept  the  fact  of  my  borrowing  that  money 
from  Hale  a  secret,  and  I  have  regretted  it  ever  since. 
Let  us  ask  Pratt's  advice." 

"No,  Leo."  Sybil  was  still  obstinate.  "I  want 
to  try  this  myself.  If  it  fails  it  can  do  no  harm,  and 
if  it  succeeds  I  shall  have  the  joy  of  knowing  that  it 
was  I  who  got  you  out  of  this  trouble.  Now  promise 
not  to  tell !  " 

At  first  Leo  refused.  He  did  not  want  Sybil  to 
mix  herself  up  in  this  disagreeable  case  even  for  his 
sake.  But  she  used  such  endearments,  and  kept  to 
her  point  with  such  pertinacity,  that  he  gave  in.  It 
was  useless  to  contend  against  Sybil  wdien  she  set  her 
heart  on  getting  anything.  She  never  would  give  in, 
however  discouraged.  Therefore,  before  she  left  the 
library,  she  had  drawn  out  an  advertisement  with  the 
assistance  of  Leo,  in  which  the  appearance  of  the  cup 
and  its  Latin  inscription  were  carefully  set  down.  A 
reward  o£  fifty  pounds  was  offered,  and  the  answers 
were  to  be  sent  to  S.  T.,  at  the  Colester  Post-ofifice. 

"  There!"  said  Sybil,  when  this  document  was  com- 
pleted, "  I  have  set  my  trap.  Now  we  shall  see  who 
will  fall  into  it.  I'll  make  a  dozen  copies  at  once,  and 
have  them  sent  ofi*  by  to-morrow.  Not  a  word.  Leo, 
about  this." 

"  I  will  be  silent,  as  I  have  promised.  All  the  same, 
I  do  not  feel  comfortable  about  your  experiment.  To 
tell  you  the  truth,  Sybil,  I  can't  see  the  sense  of  it. 


146  The  Pagan's  Cup 

Now,  don't  look  angry,  dear.  I  know  it  is  all  done  out 
of  love  for  me." 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  you  deserve  my  love,"  pouted 
Sybil  as  he  escorted  her  to  the  door,  "  You  place  all 
kinds  of  obstacles  in  my  way !  " 

She  was  rather  angry,  for  her  heart  was  fully  taken 
up  with  the  magnificence  of  her  scheme.  However, 
Leo  managed  to  calm  her,  and  gain  her  forgiveness. 
He  was  quite  unaware  of  what  he  had  done  wrong. 
But  Sybil  said  that  he  had  behaved  disgracefully,  so  he 
apologised.  Then  she  said  that  she  was  a  wicked 
girl,  and  after  kissing  him  ran  away.  All  this  was 
very  foolish,  but  very  sweet.  Leo  often  recalled  that 
interview  to  her  in  after  days,  and  they  both  agreed 
that  they  behaved  like  two  most  sensible  people.  But 
at  present  Leo  was  too  sad  to  enjoy  the  stolen  meeting 
as  a  true  and  loyal  lover  should  have  done. 

That  same  night  the  sea-fog  rolled  up  thick  and 
white.  Mr  Pratt  did  not  return  home,  at  which  non- 
arrival  Adams  was. not  surprised.  Mr  Pratt  was  too 
fond  of  his  creature  comforts  to  drive  twenty  miles 
through  a  damp  and  clinging  mist.  Leo  had  the  whole 
house  to  himself,  and  Adam,  who  thought  a  good  deal 
of  him,  did  his  best  to  make  him  comfortable.  He 
consulted  with  the  cook  and  gave  Leo  a  capital  little 
dinner,  together  with  a  bottle  of  superfine  Burgundy. 
Then  he  supplied  him  with  cigars  of  the  best  and 
cofifee  of  the  finest,  and  left  him  comfortably  seated 
before  the  drawing-room  fire.  Under  these  circum- 
stances Leo  felt  happier  than  he  had  expected,  seeing 
at  what  a  low  ebb  his  fortunes  were. 


The  London  Detective  147 

The  position  of  the  unfortunate  young  man  was 
undeniably  hard.  Here  he  was,  deserted  by  his  aunt, 
Mrs  Gabriel.  She  had  taken  him  up,  brought  him  up 
to  expect  a  large  fortune,  and  then,  for  no  cause  at  all, 
had  suddenly  cast  him  out  on  the  world  to  earn  his 
own  living  as  best  he  could.  And  in  addition  to  this, 
although  it  was  hardship  enough,  poor  Leo's  char- 
acter was  gone.  He  was  accused  of  a  sordid  crime, 
and  might  have  to  ansv/er  for  it  to  the  law.  He  did 
not  see  what  defence  he  could  make.  Certainly,  if  he 
acceded  to  Hale's  terms,  he  could  vindicate  his  posi- 
tion in  some  measure  by  accounting  for  the  sum  of 
money  he  had  used  to  pay  his  debts.  But  in  this  case 
Sybil  would  be  lost  to  him.  And  what  would  life  be 
without  Sybil  ?  Altogether,  Leo  was  in  low  spirits, 
in  spite  of  the  fire  and  the  Burgundy,  and  the  mem- 
ory of  that  charming  interview.  But  it  was  no  use 
lamenting,  as  he  very  truly  observed  to  himself,  so 
he  tried  to  shake  off  the  feeling  of  depression  and  went 
to  bed.  He  was  young,  the  world  was  large,  and  he 
hoped  in  some  way  or  another  to  sail  out  of  these 
troubled  waters  into  a  peaceful  haven.  Hope  was  the 
silver  lining  to  his  cloud  of  black  despair. 

Meanwhile,  Raston  had  written  to  his  friend  Mar- 
ton  a  full  account  of  the  loss  of  the  cup,  of  the  ac- 
cusation by  Mrs  Jeal  of  Leo,  and  of  the  suspicions  en- 
tertained by  the  villagers  concerning  the  probity  of  the 
young  man.  For  some  days  he  heard  nothing.  Then 
one  evening  Marton  himself  arrived  unexpectedly  at 
Colester.  He  went  at  once  to  the  curate's  lodgings 
and  was  received  with  great  surprise. 


148  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  My  dear  Marton,  this  is  an  unexpected  pleasure," 
said  Raston,  assisting  his  distinguished  visitor  to  pull 
off  his  coat.  "  I  thought  you  would  have  written  to 
me  about  your  visit  to  Penny." 

"  I  didn't  go  there,"  replied  Marton,  with  a  laugh. 
"  The  fact  is,  Harold,  I  cannot  quite  understand  this 
case.  You  have  not  explained  matters  clearly  enough 
in  your  letter.  I  have  set  a  detective  to  watch  Penny 
and  Penny's  shop,  and  I  have  come  down  to  hear  all 
details  from  your  own  worshipful  lips.  But  what  a 
foggy  sort  of  place  you  have  here !  I  have  been  driv- 
ing in  your  mail-coach  through  a  kind  of  cotton-wool. 
The  guard  thought  we  would  never  reach  Colester. 
I  felt  like  a  character  of  Dickens  in  that  coach.  You 
are  a  primitive  people  here.  Do  you  know  I  rather 
like  it!" 

Marton  was  a  tall,  slim,  black-haired  man,  neatly 
dressed  in  a  tweed  suit.  He  constantly  smoked  ciga- 
rettes, and  maintained  a  perfectly  calm  demeanour. 
No  one  ever  saw  Marton  excited.  His  face  was 
clean-shaven,  and  his  grey  eyes  were  sharp  and  pierc- 
ing. He  looked  what  he  was,  a  thorough  gentleman, 
and  a  remarkably  shrewd,  clever  man.  His  fame  as 
a  detective  is  so  well  known  that  it  need  hardly  be 
mentioned. 

"  I  must  get  you  something  to  eat,"  said  Raston. 

"  No.  I  dined  at  Portfront  before  I  left.  Give  me 
a  glass  of  port,  and  I  can  smoke  a  cigarette.  This  fire 
is  comfortable  after  the  fog." 

"  I  have  some  excellent  port,  Marton.  My  dear 
mother  is  under  the  impression  that  I  am  delicate,  and 


The  London  Detective  149 

keeps  me  well  supplied  from  my  father's  cellar,  I 
don't  know  what  he  says  to  it." 

"  Being  a  clerg}-man,  you  had  better  not  know,"  said 
IMarton,  dryly.  ''  Your  father  had  a  vocabulary  of — 
There,  there,  I'll  say  nothing  more.  I  want  my  port, 
my  cigarette,  and  a  full  account  of  this  case.  It  seems 
to  be  an  interesting  one.  I  shouldn't  have  come 
down  otherwise,  even  for  your  sake,  my  dear  Harold. 
I  have  just  twice  as  much  business  on  hand  as  I  can 
do  with.     The  detective  life  is  not  a  happy  one." 

Raston  poured  out  a  glass  of  port  and  placed  it  at 
Alarton's  elbow.  He  watched  his  friend  light  a  ciga- 
rette, and  himself  filled  his  well-worn  briar.  Then, 
when  they  were  comfortably  established,  he  related 
all  that  he  knew  about  the  case.  Marton  listened  with 
his  eyes  on  the  fire,  but  made  no  observation  until  the 
recital  was  finished.  Indeed,  even  then  he  did  not 
seem  inclined  to  talk. 

"  Well  ?  "  said  Raston,  rather  impatiently.  "  What 
do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Wait  a  bit,  my  friend.  It  is  a  difficult  case.  I 
am  not  prepared  to  give  you  an  opinion  straight  away. 
I  must  ask  something  about  the  people  concerned  in 
it  first.     This  Leo  Haverleigh  ?     What  about  him  ?  " 

"  He  is  a  good  man,  and  perfectly  honest.  I  should 
as  soon  have  suspected  myself  of  stealing  the  cup  as 
it  first.    This  Leo  Haverleigh  ?    What  about  him  ?  " 

"  Well,  if  anyone  ought  to  know  the  truth  about  a 
man's  character  I  should  think  a  clergyman  was  the 
person,"  said  Marton.  "  Is  it  not  Balzac  who  says 
the  clergy  are  all  in  black  because  they  see  the  worst 


I50  The  Pagan's  Cup 

side  of  human  nature?  Humph!  Have  you  had  to 
put  on  mourning  for  this  Haverleigh?" 

"  No.  He  has  been  a  trifle  wild,  and  has  got  into 
debt ;  but  otherwise  there  is  nothing  wrong  about  him. 
Besides,"  added  the  curate,  "  Miss  Tempest  is  in  love 
with  him,  and  they  are  engaged.  She  is  a  noble  girl, 
and  would  not  love  a  scoundrel." 

"  Ah !  "  said  Marton,  cynically,  "  I  have  seen  a  re- 
mark of  that  sort  in  novels,  my  good  man.  In  real 
life —  But  that  is  neither  here  nor  there.  I  should 
like  to  meet  this  young  man." 

"  I  can  take  you  with  me  to-night.  He  is  staying 
with  Mr  Pratt  at  The  Nun's  House.  It  is  no  very 
great  distance  away." 

"  I  can  wait  till  to-morrow,  Harold.  I  have  no 
very  great  desire  to  go  out  into  this  dense  fog.  By  the 
way,  who  is  this  Mr  Pratt  ?  " 

"  A  newcomer  to  Colester.  He  has  been  here  of¥ 
and  on  for  the  last  few  months,  and  has  decided  to 
settle  here.  He  is  well  off,  and  has  travelled  a  great 
deal.     His  house  is  beautifully  furnished." 

"  Quite  an  acquisition  to  the  neighborhood !  "  said 
Marton,  drowsily.  "  I  must  make  the  acquaintance  of 
your  people  here  to-morrow.  Just  now  I  feel  inclined 
to  go  to  bed." 

"  But  tell  me  your  opinion  of  this  case  ?  " 

"Well,"  said  Marton,  thoughtfully,  "from  all  the 
evidence  you  give  me  it  seems  that  Haverleigh  is 
guilty." 

"  No,  Marton,"  replied  the  curate,  "  I'll  never  be- 


The  London  Detective  151 

lieve  that.     And  you  forget  that  he  claims  to  have 
obtained  the  money  from  Sir  Frank  Hale." 

"  Well,  then,  his  possession  of  three  hundred  pounds 
is  easily  proved.  I  shall  see  Sir  Frank  Hale  and  ques- 
tion him.  With  regard  to  this  IMrs  Jeal,  her  story 
seems  credible  enough.  I  don't  suppose  she  has  any 
enmity   against   Haverleigh  ?  " 

"  No.  But  she  is  a  woman  I  neither  like  nor  trust. 
A  demure,  cat-like  creature,  with  a  pair  of  wicked 
eyes." 

''  You  make  me  long  to  see  her,"  said  Marton,  wak- 
ing up.  "  That  is  just  the  sort  of  person  I  like  to  meet. 
Do  you  think  she  may  have  stolen  this  cup  herself, 
and  have  invented  this  wild  story  to  account  for  the 
loss?  I  have  heard  of  stranger  and  even  more  dar- 
ing things." 

"  No.  That  is  out  of  the  question,  Marton.  On 
the  night  the  cup  was  stolen  ^Irs  Jeal  was  watching 
beside  this  sick  girl — the  mad  creature  I  have  told  you 
about.     She  is  innocent." 

"  Then  I  can  only  say  that  young  Haverleigh  seems 
to  be  the  most  likely  person.  Only,  the  evidence 
against  him  is  so  plain  that  I  believe  him  to  be  guilt- 
less. I  always  mistrust  too  plain  evidence,  Raston. 
It  shows  signs  of  having  been  prepared.  Well,  Fll 
see  this  young  man  to-morrow,  and  have  a  chat.  I 
go  bv  the  face  a  great  deal.  Have  you  a  photograph 
of  him  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  curate  on  the  spur  of  the  moment. 
"  Oh,  yes,  by  the  way !     I  took  a  group  of  our  peo- 


152  The  Pagan's  Cup 

pie  at  a  picnic.  It  is  not  a  bad  picture,  although 
small.     You  can  see  the  whole  lot  at  a  glance." 

Raston  got  out  the  photograph,  and  Marton  went 
to  the  lamp  to  see  it  the  more  plainly.  He  glanced  at 
first  carelessly  at  it,  then  his  eyes  grew  large,  his  at- 
tention became  fixed.  At  that  moment  there  was  a 
ring  at  the  door.  Marton  looked  at  the  clock.  "  You 
have  a  late  visitor,"  he  said. 

"  A  call  to  see  some  sick  woman  probably.  Why  do 
you  look  so  closely  at  that  picture,  Marton?" 

"  There  is  a  face  here  I  know.     Who  is  that  ? " 

Raston  looked.  *'  That  is  the  man  with  whom  Hav- 
erleigh  is  staying.     Pratt !  " 

"Pratt?"  repeated  Marton  in  a  thoughtful  tone. 
"  Has  he  a  tattooed  star  on  his  cheek  just  under  the 
cheek  bone  ?  " 

"  Yes.  And  he  is  tattooed  on  the  arm  also — the 
right  arm.  I  expect  he  had  it  done  while  he  was  a 
sailor." 

"  Oh ! "  said  IMarton,  dryly,  "  he  says  he  was  a 
sailor." 

"  Not  to  my  knowledge ;  but  he  has  mentioned  some- 
thing of  being  an  amateur  one.  Do  you  know  him, 
Marton?" 

"  If  he  is  the  man  I  think  he  is,  I  know  him  better 
than  you  do,  Raston !  " 

"  Then  who  is — "  Raston  had  just  got  thus  far, 
when  the  landlady  opened  the  door  to  announce  Mr 
Pratt.     "  Here  is  the  man  himself,  Marton." 

"  Marton !  "  echoed  Pratt,  who  was  standing  in  the 
doorway. 


The  London  Detective  153 

"Yes,  Mr— Angel,"  said  ^larton,  looking  straight 
at  him. 

Pratt  stood  for  just  half  a  moment  as  though 
turned  into  stone.  Then  he  turned  on  his  heel,  and 
went  out  of  the  door  and  down  the  stairs  as  swiftly  as 
he  was  able.  Without  a  word  IMarton  darted  after 
him.  By  the  time  he  reached  the  street  door  Pratt  had 
disappeared  in  the  fog. 


CHAPTER      XII 

A       SURPRISE 

R  A  s  T  o  N  was  astonished  when  Pratt  disappeared  so 
suddenly,  and  Marton  rushed  out  after  him.  He  went 
to  the  door,  but  his  friend  was  not  to  be  seen.  It  was 
Httle  use  following,  for  he  did  not  know  which  di- 
rection the  man  had  taken,  and  the  fog  was  so  thick 
that  he  could  hardly  see  the  length  of  his  hand  before 
him.  The  whole  of  the  spur  upon  which  Colester 
was  built  was  wrapped  in  a  thick  white  mist,  and  those 
who  were  abroad  in  the  streets  ran  every  chance  of 
being  lost.  The  village  was  small,  but  the  alleys 
and  streets  were  tortuous,  so  there  would  be  no  great 
difficulty  in  mistaking  the  way. 

For  over  an  hour  the  curate  waited,  yet  Marton  did 
not  return.  He  could  only  suppose  that  the  detective 
had  followed  Pratt,  for  what  purpose  he  could  not 
divine.  Evidently  Marton  knew  something  not  alto- 
gether to  Pratt's  advantage,  and  Pratt  was  aware  of 
this,  else  he  would  hardly  have  disappeared  so  ex- 
peditiously. Moreover,  Marton  had  addressed  Pratt 
as  "  Angel,"  which  hinted  that  the  American  was 
masquerading  under  a  false  name.  Still  wondering 
at  what  was  likely  to  be  the  outcome  of  this  adventure, 
Raston  placed  himself  at  the  door  and  waited  for  the 
return  of  his  friend.     But,  as  time  passed,  he  made 


A  Surprise  155 

sure  that  the  detective,  a  stranger  in  the  village,  had 
lost  his  way. 

*'  I  can't  leave  him  out  of  doors  all  night,"  solilo- 
quised Raston,  peering  into  the  fog;  "yet  I  do  not 
know  where  to  look  for  him.  However,  his  own  good 
sense  must  have  told  him  not  to  go  too  far.'' 

It  was  now  after  ten  o'clock,  and  most  of  the  vil- 
lagers were  in  bed.  Mr  Raston  then  ventured  upon 
a  course  of  which  he  would  have  thought  twice  had 
the  situation  been  less  desperate.  He  placed  his  hands 
to  his  mouth  and  sent  an  Australian  "  cooe  "'  through 
the  night.  This  accomplishment  had  been  taught  to 
him  by  an  Australian  cousin.  As  this  especial  cry 
carried  further  than  most  shouts,  Raston  congratu- 
lated himself  that  he  knew  how  to  give  it.  It  was 
the  only  way  of  getting  into  communication  with 
Marton. 

After  shouting  once  or  twice,  Raston  heard  a  faint 
cry  in  response.  It  came  from  the  right.  So  the 
curate,  feeling  his  way  along  the  houses,  started  in 
that  direction,  shouting  at  intervals.  Shortly  the  an- 
swering cry  sounded  close  at  hand,  and  after  some 
difficulty  and  inarticulate  conversation  the  two  men 
met.  With  an  ejaculation  Alarton  grasped  the  hand 
of  his  friend.  "  Thank  Heaven  you  have  found  me," 
said  the  detective.  "  I  have  been  going  round  in  a 
circle." 

"Did   you   catch   up   with   Pratt?"   asked   Raston, 

''  No ;  the  rascal  disappeared  into  the  fog.  and  I 
lost  myself  in  pursuit  of  him  in  about  three  minutes. 

"  Why  do  you  call  him  a  rascal  ?  " 


156  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Because  he  is  one ;  I  know  all  about  him.  But  I 
never  thought  I  should  have  stumbled  on  'Mr  Angel ' 
in  this  locality.  I  feel  like  Saul,  who  went  out  to  look 
for  his  asses  and  stumbled  on  a  kingdom." 

"  Is  his  name  Angel?  " 

"  That  is  one  of  his  names ;  he  has  at  least  a  dozen. 
Why  he  should  have  chosen  one  that  fitted  him  so 
badly  I  cannot  say." 

By  this  time  Raston,  holding  on  to  Marlon's  coat 
sleeve,  had  guided  the  detective  back  to  his  lodgings. 
The  man  was  shivering  with  cold,  for  he  had  gone 
out  without  coat  or  hat.  He  hastily  swallowed  a  glass 
of  port,  and  began  getting  his  things  to  go  out. 
"  You're  not  going  into  that  fog  again !  "  protested 
Raston.     "  You'll  only  get  lost." 

"  Not  under  your  capable  guidance,"  laughed  the 
detective.  "  You  must  guide  me  to  the  house  of  this 
Mr  Pratt.     I  intend  to  arrest  him." 

"  Arrest  him  !  "  echoed  the  curate,  staring.  "  Dear 
me,  what  has  he  done  ?  " 

"  Ask  me  what  he  hasn't  done,"  said  Marton,  with 
a  curl  of  his  lip,  "  and  I'll  be  better  able  to  tell  you. 
It's  a  long  story,  Raston,  and  time  is  passing;  I  want 
to  go  to  the  man's  house.     Is  it  far  from  here?  " 

"  Some  little  distance,"  replied  the  curate,  wonder- 
ing at  this  haste.  "  I  can  find  my  way  to  it  by  guiding 
myself  along  the  walls.  But  you  can't  arrest  him,  Mar- 
ton,  whatever  he  has  done,  unless  you  have  a  warrant." 

"  I  accept  all  responsibility  on  that  score,"  replied 
Marton,  grimly.  "  The  police  have  wanted  Mr  Angel, 
alias  Pratt,  for  many  a  long  day.     Now  the  rascal 


A  Surprise  157 

knows  that  I  am  here,  he  will  clear  out  of  Colester  in 
double  quick  time.  I  want  to  act  promptly  and  take 
him  by  surprise.  Now  don't  ask  questions,  my  dear 
fellow,  but  take  me  to  the  house.  I'll  tell  you  all  about 
this  man  later  on.  By  the  way,  he  is  the  individual 
w^ho  gave  your  church  this  celebrated  cup  ?  " 

"  Yes.    I  really  hope  there  is  nothing  wrong." 

"  Everything  is  wrong.  I  expect  the  cup  was 
stolen—" 

"  It  is  stolen—" 

"  Pshaw !  I  don't  mean  this  time.  Pratt  stole  it 
himself.  I  wonder  he  dare  present  his  spoils  to  the 
Church.  The  fellow  must  have  very  little  religion  to 
think  such  an  ill-gotten  gift  could  be  acceptable." 

"Stolen!"  murmured  Raston,  putting  on  his  coat. 
"But  why— who  is  Pratt?" 

"  Simply  the  cleverest  .thief  in  the  three  kingdoms. 
Come  along !  " 

Raston  gasped,  but  he  had  no  time  to  ask  further 
questions.  The  detective  had  him  by  the  arm  and 
was  hurrying  him  to  the  door.  When  outside  he  made 
the  curate  lead,  and  followed  close  on  his  heels.  Ras- 
ton, rather  dazed  by  this  experience,  turned  in  the 
direction  of  The  Nun's  House,  and,  guiding  himself 
along  the  walls  and  houses,  managed  to  get  into  the 
street  in  which  it  stood — that  is,  he  and  Marton  found 
themselves  on  the  highroad  which  led  down  to  King's- 
meadows.  It  was  fully  an  hour  before  they  got  as 
far  as  this,  for  the  fog  grew  denser  every  moment. 
Finally,  Raston  stumbled  on  the  gate,  drew  his  friend 
inside  with  an  ejaculation  of  satisfaction,  and  walked 


158  The  Pagan's  Cup 

swiftly  up  the  path  that  led  to  the  house.  On  the 
ground  floor  all  was  dark,  but  in  the  centre  window  of 
the  second  storey  a  light  was  burning.  Marton  did 
not  wait  for  the  curate,  but  ran  up  the  steps  and 
knocked  at  the  door;  he  also  rang,  and  he  did  both 
violently.  For  a  time  there  was  no  response,  then  the 
light  disappeared  from  the  window  above. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  noise  of  the  bolts  being  with- 
drawn was  heard,  and  the  rattle  of  the  chain.  The 
door  opened  to  show  Leo  in  his  dressing-gown  stand- 
ing on  the  threshold  with  a  lighted  candle  in  his  hand. 
He  looked  bewildered  and  angry,  as  though  he  had 
just  been  aroused  from  his  first  sleep,  which  indeed 
was  the  case.  "What  the  devil  is  the  matter?"  he 
asked  crossly,  peering  out  into  the  night.  "  You  make 
enough  noise  to  wake  the  dead !   Who  is  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  I,  and  a  friend,  Haverleigh,"  said  the  curate, 
pushed  forward  by  the  detective.  "  Is  Mr  Pratt 
within  ?" 

"  I  suppose  so,"  replied  Leo,  much  astonished  at 
this  nocturnal  visitation ;  "  he  is  no  doubt  in  bed.  I 
can't  understand  why  he  did  not  hear  the  noise  you 
made.    Has  he  left  anything  at  your  place,  Raston  ?  " 

"  Ah !  You  knew  he  was  going  to  see  Mr  Raston  ?  ". 
put  in  Marton,  sharply. 

"  He  left  here  over  two  hours  ago,  and  I  went  to 
bed.  Then  I  heard  him  come  back  just  as  I  was  fall- 
ing asleep,  but  he  did  not  come  up  to  my  room.  If 
you  will  tell  me  what  is  the  matter,  I'll  rouse  him. 

"  Let  us  enter,  Haverleigh,"  said  the  curate,  who 
was  shivering.    "  We  have  much  to  tell  you." 


A  Surprise  159 

Still  much  puzzled,  Leo  led  the  way  to  the  library- 
after  shutting  the  door,  and  the  two  men  followed  him. 
He  lighted  the  gas — Colester  was  not  sufficiently  civ- 
ilised for  electric  light — and  then  turned  to  ask  once 
more  what  was  the  matter.  Raston  thought  the  best 
way  to  bring  about  an  explanation  was  to  introduce 
his  friend,  who  was  already  looking  keenly  round  the 
well-furnished  room.  "  This  is  Mr  Marton,"  he  said. 
"  He  is  a  London  detective." 

With  a  bitter  laugh  Leo  set  down  the  candle  on  the 
table.  ''  What,"  he  said,  "  are  you  the  man  with  the 
bow-string,  Raston  ?  Scarcely  worthy  of  your  cloth ! 
If  you  wanted  to  arrest  me,  you  might  have  waited 
until  morning !  " 

"Who  is  this  young  gentleman?"  asked  Marton, 
suddenly. 

"  I  am  Leo  Haverleigh,  Mr  Detective,"  replied  the 
young  man,  sharply ;  "  and  I  suppose  you  have  come 
here  at  the  instance  of  Mr  Tempest  to  arrest  me !  " 

Marton  snatched  up  the  candle,  and  held  it  close  to 
Leo's  face.  He  was  apparently  quite  satisfied,  for  he 
spoke  in  a  more  friendly  tone. 

"  You  need  not  be  afraid,  Mr  Haverleigh,"  he  said 
soothingly.  "  I  have  not  come  to  arrest  you — but  to 
investigate  the  case.  I  don't  think  there  is  any  chance 
of  your  being  arrested.  Your  face  is  enough  for  me. 
But  this  is  all  very  well,"  he  added  impatiently ;  "  I 
want  Pratt !  " 

"  I  will  go  and  wake  him,"  said  Leo,  who  could 
make  neither  top  nor  tail  of  all  this,  but  who  was  re- 
lieved to  find  that  he  was  not  in  danger  of  arrest.    He 


i6o  The  Pagan's  Cup 

retired  from  the  room,  while  Marton  darted  about  here 
there,  and  everywhere.  He  was  hke  a  bloodhound 
nosing  a  trail.  Suddenly  he  stopped  before  a  cabinet, 
a  drawer  of  which  was  open. 

"  Too  late !  "  said  Marton  in  a  tone  of  disgust. 
"  He's  bolted." 

"How  could  he  bolt  in  this  fog?"  asked  Raston, 
dubiously. 

"  Oh,  he'll  find  his  way  somehow.  Tony  Angel  is 
the  cleverest  of  men  for  getting  out  of  a  difficulty- 
He  has  evaded  the  police  for  years.  See,  my  dear 
chap,  this  drawer  is  open.  That  means  he  has  taken 
money  or  valuables  from  it,  and  is  now  on  his  way  to 
Heaven  knows  what  hiding-place. 

"  Can  you  be  sure  of  that  ?  The  open  drawer  may 
be  an  accident.  Besides,  he  would  not  think  you 
would  act  so  promptly." 

"  Indeed,  that  is  just  why  he  has  bolted  so  expedi- 
tiously," said  Marton,  with  something  of  admiration 
in  his  tones.  "  Angel  has  experienced  my  promptitude 
before,  and  several  times  I  have  been  on  the  point  of 
capturing  him.  He  has  taken  French  leave  within  the 
last  two  hours.  But  for  that  infernal  fog  I  should 
have  stuck  to  him  till  I  ran  him  down.  Or,  at  all 
events,  I  might  have  disabled  him  with  a  shot." 

The  curate  looked  at  his  friend  aghast.  "  A  shot !  " 
he  stammered. 

Marton  produced  a  neat  little  revolver.  "  I  should 
have  used  that  had  I  been  able,"  he  said  quietly.  "  It 
does  not  do  to  adopt  half  measures  with  our  mutual 
friend.     Besides,  if  hard  pressed  he  would  have  re- 


A  Surprise  i6i 

turned  the  compliment.  Your  Haverleigh  fellow  is  a 
long  time !  " 

"  He'll  be  back  soon.  You  can  trust  Leo.  Surely, 
Marton,  you  do  not  think  he  knew  anything  of  Pratt's 
doings  ?  " 

"  With  such  a  face  as  that  he  knows  precious  little," 
retorted  Marton ;  ''  he  is  a  good  fellow,  but  not  sharp. 
He  did  not  steal  that  cup,  nor  did  he  help  Pratt  to  get 
away.  No,  Raston.  Our  criminal  friend  came  back 
here  while  I  was  blundering  in  the  fog,  and  after 
taking  some  money  cleared  out  without  loss  of  time. 
I  sha'n't  catch  him  now.  I  suppose  the  telegraph- 
office  is  closed  ? " 

"  Yes.  It  closes  here  at  nine  o'clock.  And  even  if 
you  sent  a  wire,  it  would  not  be  delivered  at  Portfront 
to-night." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.  You  are  all  so  slow  in  these 
country  places!  It  is  clever  of  you  to  mention  Port- 
front,  Raston.  You  think  that  Tony  Angel  will  go 
there?" 

"  How  else  can  he  get  away  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  You  know  the  country  better  than 
I  do.  But  I  tell  you  what,  our  friend  will  not  go  to 
Portfront  or  anywhere  near  it." 

"  Why  not?  "   asked  the  curate,  bewildered. 

"  Because  you  expect  him  to  go  there.  Angel  always 
does  the  thing  that  is  not  expected.  I  wish  I  had 
caught  him !  I've  been  years  trying  to  hunt  him  down. 
And  the  beast  has  made  himself  comfortable  here !  " 
said  Marton,  with  a  glance  round.    "  I  bet  you,  Ras- 


1 62  The  Pagan's  Cup 

ton,  that  the  greater  part  of  these  things  have  been 
stolen." 

"Stolen,  Marton!     How  terrible.     And  the  cup?" 

"  He  stole  that  also,"  replied  Marton,  promptly, 
lighting  one  of  his  cigarettes.  Oh,  he  is  a  clever  man, 
is  Angel.  Ah!  here  is  our  young  and  enterprising 
friend.    Well,  Mr  Haverleigh,  so  Pratt  has  gone?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Leo,  looking  puzzled.  "  I  went  to  his 
room  and  found  that  his  bed  had  not  been  slept  in. 
The  back  door  is  open,  although  closed — that  is,  it  has 
not  been  locked.    How  do  you  know  Pratt  has  gone?  " 

"I'll  tell  you  later.  Throw  a  few  logs  on  that  fire, 
Raston.  It  will  soon  burn  up.  Here  is  a  bottle  of 
whisky,  too,  and  some  soda." 

"  I  left  that  for  Pratt,"  said  Leo,  somewhat  sur- 
prised at  the  cool  way  in  which  this  man  was  behaving. 

"  And  Pratt  was  too  clever  to  muddle  his  head  when 
he  needed  all  his  wits  about  him.  By  the  way,  has  his 
jackall  gone  also?  " 

"  Adam  is  not  in,  if  that  is  what  you — " 

"  Yes,  Mr  Haverleigh,  that  is  exactly  what  I  do 
mean.  Ha !  Clever  man  Pratt !  He  came  back  here 
straight,  and,  warning  his  pal,  walked  off,  leaving  the 
empty  house  to  me  and  to  you,  Mr  Haverleigh.  Did 
you  hear  him  leave  ?  " 

"  I  heard  nothing  until  you  knocked  at  the  door. 
Then  I  wondered  why  Adam  did  not  hear  you.  The 
other  servants  are  asleep  at  the  back  of  the  house,  and 
I  suppose  they  also  expected  Adam  to  answer  the  bell." 

"  That  is  extremely  probable.    Well,  let  us  hope  the 


A  Surprise  163 

remaining  servants  will  sleep  well.  To-morrow  they 
must  leave  this  house !  " 

"  Why,  in  Heaven's  name  ?  "  asked  Leo,  starting 
up. 

"  For  the  very  simple  reason  that  the  police  will  be 
put  into  possession  here  by  me  to-morrow." 

"  What?  Did  Pratt  steal  the —  I  don't  understand. 
Raston,  what  does  this  man  mean?  Who  is  he? 
What  are—" 

"  Wait  a  bit,  Air  Haverleigh,"  interrupted  Alarton, 
motioning  the  curate  to  hold  his  tongue,  "  all  in  good 
time.  I  am  Horace  Marton,  a  detective.  I  was  asked 
by  Air  Raston  to  investigate  this  robbery,  and  he  was 
telling  me  about  it  at  his  lodgings.  Your  friend  Air 
Pratt  arrived,  and  when  he  saw  me  he  bolted  out  into 
the  fog.  I  followed  and  lost  him.  Then  I  got  back 
to  Raston  here,  and  we  have  been  over  two  hours 
looking  for  this  confounded  place.  During  that  time 
Pratt  and  Adam  have  made  themselves  scarce." 

''But  why  should  they  do  that?"  asked  Leo,  still 
puzzled. 

"  Because  this  man  who  calls  himself  Pratt,  and 
poses  as  a  giver  of  gifts  to  the  Church,  is  a  well- 
known  London  thief,  and  his  man  Adam  is  what  he 
would  call  a  pal.  '  Tony  Angel,'  that  is  the  real  name 
of  Air  Pratt,  but  he  had  half-a-dozen  others  beside.  I 
congratulate  you  on  your  friend,  Air  Haverleigh !  " 

"  I  never  knew  anything  of  this,"  cried  Leo,  utterly 
taken  aback. 

"  I  am  quite  sure  of  that,  Haverleigh,"  said  the 
curate,  heartilv. 


1 64  The  Pagan's  Cup 

IMarton  chuckled.  "  Wait  a  bit,  Harold,"  he  said ; 
"  do  not  be  in  such  a  hurry.  How  do  we  know  that 
Mr  Haverleigh  has  not  been  working  together  with 
Tony  Angel?  He  may  know  all  about  him  and  may 
have  been  employed  by  him  to  steal  the  very  cup  which 
was  given  by  Pratt  as  an  evidence  of  his  respectability." 

Leo  jumped  up  and  would  have  flung  himself  on 
Marton;  but  Raston  held  him  back.  "  Hovv'  dare 
you  make  such  as  accusation  against  me  ?  "  cried  the 
young  man,  furiously.  "  Let  me  go,  Raston ;  don't 
you  hear  what  he  says  ?  " 

"  Wait  a  bit,  Haverleigh,"  urged  the  curate.  "  Mar- 
ton  does  nothing  without  a  motive.  He  can  explan  if 
you  will  remain  quiet." 

Thus  advised,  Leo  sat  down  again,  but  in  rather  a 
sulky  humour.  "  I  am  a  trifle  tired  of  being  called  a 
blackguard,"  he  said,  frowning  at  Marton,  who  re- 
garded him  with  a  friendly  smile.  "  I  know  absolutely 
nothing  about  Mr  Pratt,  save  that  he  was  a  friend  of 
Mrs  Gabriel's,  and  that  he  has  been  very  good  to  me. 
I  always  thought  he  was  what  he  represented  himself 
to  be." 

"  Small  wonder  you  did,"  said  Marton,  coolly. 
"  Angel  would  deceive  a  much  cleverer  man  than  you 
appear  to  be,  Mr  Haverleigh !  And  look  here,  I  may 
as  well  tell  you  at  once  that  I  am  certain  you  knew 
nothing  about  him.  Also  I  am  equally  certain  that 
you  have  had  nothing  to  do  with  this  robbery.  I  can- 
not say  yet  whether  Pratt — as  I  may  continue  to  call 
him  for  clearness'  sake — stole  the  cup.     But  you  are 


A  Surprise  165 

innocent,  i\Ir  Haverleigh ;  and  I  intend  to  do  my  best 
to  get  you  out  of  your  trouble.    Shake  hands." 

At  first  Leo  hesitated,  for  he  was  still  sore  about 
the  accusation.  But  the  detective  regarded  him  in  a 
friendly  manner,  and  his  smile  was  so  irresistible,  that 
in  the  end  he  shook  hands  heartily.  He  felt  that  the 
man  who  spoke  thus  would  be  a  good  friend.  "'  You 
know  all  about  the  case  ?  " 

"  All  that  Mr  Raston  could  tell  me,"  said  the  de- 
tective, "  even  to  the  fact  that  you  borrowed)  the 
money  for  which  you  are  accused  of  stealing  the  cup 
from  Sir  Frank  Hale." 

"  Then  I  wish  you  would  make  him  acknowledge 
the  loan,"  said  Leo,  petulantly. 

Marton  started  and  looked  at  the  young  man. 
"  Does  he  not  do  so  ?  " 

"  No.  He  is  in  love  with  J\Iiss  Tempest,  who  is 
engaged  to  me,  and  he  says  he  will  deny  the  loan  if 
I  do  not  give  her  up  " 

"  And  marry  his  sister,  I  suppose !  "  interposed  the 
curate,  whereat  Leo  nodded. 

"  Humph !  "  said  Marton,  thoughtfully,  caressing 
his  chin.  "  It  seems  to  me,  Air  Haverleigh,  that  you 
have  been  made  a  tool  of  by  unscrupulous  people.  But 
I'll  give  my  attention  to  this  to-morrow.  I'll  get  the 
truth  out  of  this  Hale!  He  don't  dare  to  palter  with 
me.  Leave  yourself  and  your  reputation  in  my  hands, 
Haverleigh." 

"Very  gladly,"  said  Leo,  heartily;  "but  what 
about  Pratt?" 


1 66  The  Pagan's  Cup 

Marton  reflected,  and  took  a  sip  of  whisky  and 
water.  "  He's  gone.  I  do  not  think  he  will  appear 
again  in  Colester," 

"  But  he  has  left  his  house  and  all  these  beautiful 
things  behind  him,"  put  in  Raston,  with  a  glance 
around. 

"  I  see  he  has  made  himself  comfortable,"  said  Mar- 
ton,  with  a  shrug ;  "  it  was  always  his  way !  This  is 
not  the  first  time  he  has  furnished  a  house,  settled 
down.  He  has  been  driven  out  of  every  burrow,  how- 
ever. This  time  I  discovered  his  hiding-place  by  acci- 
dent. Colester  was  about  the  best  place  in  the  whole 
of  England  he  could  have  chosen.  No  one  would  have 
thought  of  looking  for  him  here.  I  daresay  he  ex- 
pected to  settled  down  and  die  in  the  odour  of  sanctity, 
surrounded  by  his  ill-gotten  gains.  But  he  has  not 
gone  empty-handed,  Haverleigh.  He  is  too  clever  for 
that,  and  is  always  prepared  for  an  emergency." 

"But  ivho  is  Pratt?" 

"  Well ;  you  are  asking  me  a  hard  question.  I 
understand  he  is  a  workhouse  brat  of  sorts.  He  him- 
self claims  to  be  the  illegitimate  son  of  a  nobleman. 
Certainly,  he  has  a  very  gentlemanly  appearance.  He 
has  been  working  for  at  least  thirty  years,  and  has 
always  contrived  to  evade  the  English  police.  I 
believe  he  was  laid  by  the  heels  in  America." 

"  He  has  travelled  a  great  deal." 

"  I  believe  you !  He  knows  the  whole  world  and  all 
the  scoundrels  in  it.  A  king  of  crime !  That  is  what 
Pratt  is.  The  generality  of  thieves  adore  him,  for  he 
has  his  good  points,  and  he  is  generous.     Well,  we 


A  Surprise  167 

have  talked  enough  for  to-night.  I'll  sleep  here, 
Haverleigh.     Raston?" 

"  I'll  return  to  my  own  place,"  said  the  curate, 
rising  to  go. 

And  this  he  did,  but  Marton,  having  found  the  bur- 
row of  Pratt,  alias  Angel,  did  not  intend  to  leave  it. 
He  was  quite  as  clever  as  the  man  he  was  hunting. 


CHAPTER     XIII 

AN      INTERESTING      DOCUMENT 

Mart  ON  did  not  wish  the  identity  of  Pratt  to  be  con- 
cealed. On  the  contrary,  he  gave  it  as  wide  a  pub- 
licity as  possible,  hoping  that  it  might  lead  to  the 
man's  capture.  Everyone  from  Portfront  to  Colester 
knew  the  would-be  country  gentleman,  so  it  was  not 
unlikely  that  he  might  be  caught.  Considering  that 
only  a  night  had  elapsed,  it  was  impossible  that  he 
could  have  got  far  away,  especially  in  a  fog.  And  if 
Pratt  escaped  there  was  always  the  off-chance  that 
Adam  might  be  laid  by  the  heels. 

An  examination  next  morning  showed  Marton  that 
the  two  bicycles  were  missing,  so  he  judged  that  both 
men  had  gone  off  together.  It  was  improbable  in 
Marton's  opinion  that  they  had  gone  to  Portfront,  as 
they  could  not  possibly  leave  before  the  steamer  at 
seven  o'clock,  and  the  police  could  be  communicated 
with  by  telegraph  before  they  could  get  clear  of  the 
place.  At  half-past  six  Marton  routed  a  telegraph 
operator  out  of  his  bed,  and  set  him  to  work.  He 
wired  to  the  inspector  at  Portfront  to  arrest  Pratt  and 
his  man  forthwith,  or,  at  all  events,  to  detain  them 
until  the  London  police  could  be  communicated  with 
and  a  warrant  for  Pratt's  manifold  iniquities  procured. 


An  Interesting  Document        169 

But,  to  Marten's  surprise,  no  answer  was  returned 
from  Inspector  German.  Yet  the  inspector  knew  Pratt 
well,  and,  if  the  man  set  foot  in  Portfront,  could  easily 
seize  him.  Later  on,  somewhere  about  nine  o'clock, 
the  reason  that  no  answer  had  arrived  became  appar- 
ent. A  messenger  came  from  Portfront  to  say  that 
the  telegraph  wire  between  that  place  and  Portfront 
had  been  cut  midway.  There  was  only  one  line,  so  all 
communication  had  been  broken  off.  The  steamer  had 
started,  and,  without  doubt,  the  two  men  were  on 
board.  At  once  Marton  started  off  to  Portfront  on  the 
curate's  bicycle.  On  his  arrival  he  went  to  see 
German. 

The  inspector  was  much  astonished  when  he  heard 
the  story.  He  had  not  received  the  wire,  and  there- 
fore had  done  nothing.  In  Marton's  company  he  hur- 
ried to  the  office  of  the  steamer. 

"  You  see  the  kind  of  man  we  have  to  deal  with, 
German,"  said  Marton,  much  vexed.  "  It  was  a 
clever  dodge  to  cut  the  wire,  and  yet  he  gave  himself 
away.  I  did  not  think  he  would  go  to  Portfront,  but 
the  cutting  of  the  wire  proves  he  did.  We'll  wire  to 
Worthing,  and  stop  him  there." 

An  inquiry  at  the  steamer  office  resulted  in  nothing. 
It  seemed  that  Mr  Pratt  had  a  season  ticket,  and  there- 
fore had  not  purchased  one.  Nor  had  Adam,  so  it 
might  be  that  he  was  still  in  the  town.  The  loafers 
on  the  pier  said  they  had  not  seen  Pratt  go  aboard. 

"  Humph !  "  said  Marton,  "  he  sneaked  on  in  some 
disguise." 


I70  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Is  he  clever  at  disguising  himself  ? "  asked 
German. 

"  I  should  think  so.  His  own  mother  would  not 
know  him.  Still,  he  had  no  time  to  make-up  before 
he  left  Colester,  so  he  may  not  be  so  carefully  dis- 
guised.    I  daresay  we  can  catch  him  at  Worthing." 

A  wire  was  sent  to  Worthing  forthwith,  and  an- 
other to  Scotland  Yard,  requesting  that  someone 
might  be  sent  down  to  take  charge  of  Pratt's  house, 
and  to  identify  the  goods  he  had  in  it.  There  was  a 
list  of  the  houses  Pratt  had  broken  into,  and  a  list  of 
the  stolen  goods  also,  so  it  would  be  easy  to  have  this 
brought  down  and  compared  with  the  contents  of  The 
Nun's  House.  Having  thus  done  all  that  he  could 
under  the  circumstances,  Marton  returned  to  Colester, 
where  he  found  the  curate  and  Leo  waiting  for  him. 
The  latter  had  now  taken  up  his  quarters  at  the  inn. 
But  he  kept  within  doors,  as  now  that  the  identity  of 
Pratt  was  known,  Leo  was  credited  with  having  been 
His  confederate. 

There  was  tremendous  excitement  in  Colester  over 
the  discovery  that  the  village  had  entertained  una- 
wares a  well-known  London  thief.  Many  of  the  vil- 
lagers flattered  themselves  on  the  stern  and  non- 
committal attitude  they  had  adopted  towards  the  too 
fascinating  stranger.  Mr  Pratt  had  never  been  very 
popular,  but  now  he  was  spoken  ill  of  on  every  hand. 
The  whole  village  would  have  been  delighted  to  have 
seen  him  in  the  power  of  the  law. 

But  Pratt  was  too  clever  for  them  all.  The  wire  to 
Worthing  produced    no    result.     Neither    Pratt  nor 


An  Interesting  Document        171 

Adam  were  on  board.  It  then  appeared  that  the 
steamer  had  put  in  at  Bognor.  Marton  had  omitted  to 
advise  the  pohce  there  of  the  fugitives,  so  it  was  pre- 
sumed that  they  had  got  off  with  the  rest  of  the  pas- 
sengers. The  captain  did  not  know  Adam  by  sight, 
and  Pratt  had  evidently  disguised  himself  well.  At 
all  events,  in  the  crowd  the  two  had  passed  unnoticed. 
Although  the  London  stations  were  watched,  no  sight 
could  be  caught  of  them. 

"  A  clever  man  Pratt ! "  said  Marton,  when  in- 
formed of  his  ill  success.  "  I  am  perfectly  certain  of 
the  way  in  which  he  went  about  the  matter.  He  and 
his  servant  got  off  at  Bognor,  and  alighted  at  some 
station  just  outside  the  metropolis.  They  got  to  their 
own  haunts  by  some  back  way." 

"  Do  you  know  of  their  haunts  ?  "  asked  Leo,  who 
was  keenly  interested  in  the  matter,  and  could  not  help 
feeling  relieved  that  Pratt  had  escaped. 

"  Oh !  they  change  them  every  now  and  then.  Be- 
sides, Adam  will  keep  out  of  sight,  and  Pratt  will  so 
disguise  himself  that  there  will  be  no  recognising  him. 
He's  got  clean  away  this  time.  And  I  believe,  Mr 
Haverleigh,"  added  Marton,  with  a  laugh,  "  that  you 
are  rather  pleased  !  " 

"  Well,"  said  Leo,  with  some  hesitation,  "  in  spite 
of  all  you  say,  I  can't  bring  myself  to  believe  that 
Pratt  is  a  bad  sort  of  chap.    He  was  very  kind  to  me." 

"  He  is  kind  to  most  people.  He  poses  as  a  kind 
of  modern  Robin  Hood,  who  robs  the  rich  to  give  to 
the  poor.    I  have  known  him  to  do  many  kind  actions. 


172  The  Pagan's  Cup 

But  he  is  a  scamp  for  all  that,  and  if  I  could  lay  my 
hands  on  him  Fd  get  him !  " 

Mrs  Gabriel  was  much  annoyed  to  find  that  Pratt 
was  so  notorious  a  character.  She  determined  to  clear 
herself  of  complicity  in  his  sordid  crimes,  although  no 
one  ever  suspected  that  she  had  any  knowledge  of  the 
man's  true  character.  She  sent  for  Marton,  and  had 
a  long  talk  with  him  about  Pratt;  incidentally  a 
reference  was  made  to  Leo. 

"  I  have  asked  you  to  see  me,  Mr  Marton,"  she 
said,  "  because  it  was  I  who  introduced  Mr  Pratt  to 
Colester.  I  have  known  him  ten  years,  and  he  always 
appeared  to  me  to  be  a  most  respectable  American." 

"  He  is  not  an  American  at  all,"  said  Marton. 
"  But  he  could  assume  any  nationality  that  suited  him 
for  the  moment.  He  is  a  brilliantly-clever  man,  Mrs 
Gabriel,  and  I  do  not  wonder  he  took  you  in." 

"  He  got  no  money  out  of  me,  at  all  events,"  said 
the  lady,  grimly. 

"  Ah !  Then  you  escaped  easily.  The  wonder  is 
he  did  not  try  and  marry  you !  A  rich  widow  is 
exactly  the  kind  of  victim  he  would  like." 

"  I  am  not  the  sort  of  woman  to  be  anyone's  victim, 
Mr  Marton." 

Marton,  looking  at  her  stern,  strong  face,  quite 
agreed,  but  he  was  too  polite  to  give  vent  to  his  feel- 
ings. He  merely  inquired  how  Mrs  Gabriel  had  be- 
come acquainted  with  this  Prince  of  Swindlers.  She 
had  no  hesitation  in  giving  him  full  details. 

"  I  met  him  at  a  Swiss  hotel  many  years  ago,"  she 
said.    "  He  was  then  called  Pratt,  and  he  posed  as  a 


An  Interesting  Document         173 

rich  American.  I  met  with  an  accident  while  out 
walking  on  the  hill  above  IMontreux,  and  lay  out  till 
nightfall.  Mr  Pratt  rescued  me  from  this  very  un- 
pleasant position,  and  took  me  back  to  the  hotel.  A 
friendship  sprang  up  between  us,  and  when  he  re- 
turned to  England  he  called  on  me.  As  he  was 
always  the  same  for  ten  years,  and  I  saw  much  of 
him,  I  never  suspected  that  he  was  other  than  he  rep- 
resented himself  to  be.  Besides,  Mr  Marton,  you  must 
admit  he  is  a  most  fascinating  man." 

'■  Much  too  fascinating,  Mrs.  Gabriel,  as  many  have 
found  to  their  cost." 

Mrs  Gabriel  reflected  a  moment.  "  Do  you  think 
he  will    be  put  in  prison  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  we  catch  him,"  replied  Marton, 
quietly ;  "  he  is  a  man  dangerous  to  society.  All  his 
life  he  has  been  a  rogue  and  a  criminal.  All  his 
money  comes  to  him  in  the  wrong  way.  That  house 
below — I  believe  you  let  it  to  him,  Mrs  Gabriel — is 
filled  with  the  proceeds  of  his  robberies.  He  bought 
the  furniture,  but  the  objects  of  art — even  the  pic- 
tures— have  all  been  stolen.  In  a  few  days  I  shall 
have  some  people  down  from  Scotland  Yard  to  identify 
the  things  and  restore  them  to  their  owners.  But  as 
to  Mr  Pratt,  I  fear  he  has  escaped  out  of  the  clutches 
of  the  law — as  usual." 

"  I  cannot  say  I  regret  it,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel, 
toldly.  "  Bad  as  he  is,  there  are  worse  people  in  the 
world,  Mr  Marton.  But  tell  me,  sir.  You  are  in- 
vestigating this  robbery.  My  adopted  son,  Mr  Haver- 
leigh  is  suspected." 


174  The.  Pagan's  Cup 

"  He  is  perfectly  innocent,  Mrs  Gabriel.  The  money 
he  was  said  to  have  obtained  from  the  sale  of  the  cup 
was  given  to  him  by  Sir  Frank  Hale." 

"  Sir  Frank  denies  it." 

"  So  Mr  Haverleigh  says.  But  I'll  see  Sir  Frank 
myself,  and  see  what  I  can  make  of  him.  I  would 
rather  believe  Mr  Haverleigh  than  anyone  else.  He 
has  an  absolutely  open  nature." 

"  He  is  a  fool,  if  that  is  what  you  mean." 

"  Pardon  me,  I  do  not  think  so !  A  man  can  be 
straightforward  and  honourable,  as  ]\Ir  Haverleigh  is, 
without  being  a  fool.  As  yet  I  have  not  investigated 
this  case,  as  my  attention  has  been  taken  up  with 
Pratt.  But  in  a  day  or  so  I  hope  to  go  to  work 
and  then  I  am  prepared  to  say  that  the  crime  will  not 
be  brought  home  to  your  nephew." 

"  Have  you  any  suspicions  ?  " 

"  Not  yet.  I  have  not  searched  out  the  evidence 
sufficiently." 

"  Mrs  Jeal  saw  my  nephew  pawn  the  cup." 

"  Ah !  That  is  a  mystery  which  I  must  fathom, 
Mrs  Gabriel.  A  person  resembling  Mr  Haverleigh 
pawned  the  cup,  but  I  am  sure  it  was  not  your  nephew. 
There  is  a  conspiracy  against  him,  on  whose  part  I  am 
not  prepared  to  say  yet.  But  I  shall  find  it  out,  clear 
his  character,  and  punish  those  who  have  been  con- 
cerned in  it.  And  now,  ]\Irs  Gabriel,  I  must  bid  you 
good-day,  as  my  time  is  fully  occupied.  Let  me,  how- 
ever, inform  you  that  there  is  no  need  to  excuse  your 
association  with  Mr  Pratt.     I  quite  understand  how 


An  Interesting  Document        175 

he  wriggled  himself  into  your  acquaintance,  and  you 
are  in  no  way  to  blame.    Once  more,  good-day !  " 

Marton  bowed  himself  out.  But  he  had  seen  enough 
of  Mrs  Gabriel  to  note  the  strong  hatred  she  bore 
towards  Leo,  and  he  wondered  what  could  be  the 
reason.  Also,  he  saw  that  for  a  moment  she  had 
flinched  at  the  mention  of  conspiracy,  which  set  him 
on  the  alert  as  to  whether  her  detestation  of  her 
nephew  had  carried  her  so  far  as  to  plot  against  his 
good  name. 

"  If  there  is  anything  the  matter,  Hale  is  the  man 
to  know,"  murmured  the  detective ;  "  he  lent  the 
money,  and  now  declines  to  acknowledge  the  loan.  I 
believe  there  is  something  bad  at  the  back  of  all  this. 
Poor  Haverleigh  seems  to  be  the  most  harmless  of 
men,  yet  he  is  being  ruined  in  some  underhand  way. 
Well,  I'll  settle  Pratt's  matter,  and  then  clear  his 
name." 

But  before  Marton  could  do  this.  Providence  took 
the  task  out  of  his  hand.  For  the  next  ten  days  he 
was  busy  consulting  with  those  sent  down  from  Scot- 
land Yard  about  the  numerous  stolen  articles  found 
in  The  Nun's  House.  The  cabinet  of  antique  coins 
was  restored  to  a  famous  collector,  v/ho  had  lost  them 
five  years  before.  Many  pictures  were  replaced  in  the 
galleries  of  country  houses,  and,  in  one  way  and  an- 
other, by  the  time  The  Nun's  House  was  denuded  of 
what  belonged  to  other  people,  there  remained  very 
little  but  the  furniture.  And  even  some  choice  articles 
of  furniture  were  found  to  be  the  property  of  other 
people.    It  was  really  wonderful  the  amount  of  stolen 


176  The  Pagan's  Cup 

goods  that  Pratt  had  collected.  He  must  have  thieved 
for  years  to  have  got  together  such  a  collection. 

"  But  he  will  start  no  more  burrows,"  said  Marton, 
when  all  was  at  an  end.  "  He  never  expected  that  I 
should  find  him  here,  and  therefore  collected  all  his 
treasures.  His  life  is  not  long  enough  to  enable  him 
to  bring  together  such  a  collection  of  things  again. 
Besides,  he  has  not  the  same  wide  field  for  his 
knaveries.  The  police  are  one  too  many  for  him 
now." 

Marton  said  this  to  the  vicar,  v/ho  was  deeply 
shocked  to  hear  of  the  wickedness  of  the  man  from 
whom  he  had  accepted  the  cup.  "  Do  you  think  that 
sacred  vessel  was  stolen  also,  Mr  Marton?  "  asked  the 
good  man. 

"  I  am  perfectly  sure  of  it,"  replied  the  detective, 
prom.ptly ;  "  but  we  have  not  got  the  cup  down  on  our 
list,  and  no  one  has  come  forward  to  claim  it." 

"  It  has  not  been  advertised,  Mr  Marton." 

"  Pardon  me,  sir,  it  has  been  advertised,  and  by 
someone  in  this  place.  I  saw  this  notice  in  the  Daily 
Telegraph,  also  in  the  Times.  Can  you  tell  me  who 
'S.T.'  is,  Mr  Tempest?" 

The  vicar  took  the  newspaper  handed  to  him  and 
looked  at  it  in  a  bewildered  manner.  He  read  the 
notice  carefully,  but  it  never  struck  him  that  the 
initials  were  those  of  his  own  daughter.  "  I  really  do 
not  know  who  can  have  inserted  this,  Mr  Marton,"  he 
said.  "  It  seems  to  be  carefully  worded,  too,  and  a 
reward  of  fifty  pounds  has  been  offered.    Dear  me!  " 

"  I  have  a  rival  who  is  investigating  the  case,"  said 


An  Interesting  Document        177 

]\Iarton,  with  a  smile.  "  Is  the  description  accurate, 
vicar?  " 

"Perfectly;  even  the  inscription.  If  you  will  per- 
mit me  to  take  this  away,  Mr  Alarton,  I  will  see  if  I 
can  discover  who  has  put  it  in.  I  am  annoyed  that  the 
thing  should  have  been  taken  out  of  your  hands.  But, 
]\Ir  Marton,  before  I  leave  you,  let  me  state  to  you  my 
conviction  that  m}-  young  friend  Leo  Haverleigh  did 
not  steal  the  cup." 

"  Ah,  indeed,  Mr  Tempest,"  said  Marton,  eyeing 
the  old  man  keenly.  "  And  what  has  led  you  to  such 
a  happy  conclusion  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  grounds  for  it  save  my  inward 
conviction." 

"  There  is  the  story  of  Airs  Jeal,  you  know." 

Mr  Tempest  looked  troubled.  "  Most  remarkable 
story,"  he  said.  "  But  we  have  heard  of  many  cases 
of  accidental  resemblances,  Mr  Marton.  I  fear  I  have 
been  unjust  to  Leo,  and  I  wish  to  withdraw  any 
charge  I  may  have  made  against  him.  I  heard  his 
defence,  and  saw  his  face  w'hile  he  was  making  it. 
Unless  the  face  is  not  the  index  of  the  mind,  I  cannot 
bring  myself  to  believe  that  he  lied.  No,  Mr  Marton, 
I  cannot  give  you  my  reasons,  but  I  am  convinced  that 
I  misjudged  Leo." 

"  Were  you  prejudiced  against  him  by  Mrs  Ga- 
briel?" asked  Alarton,  for  Leo  had  told  him  his 
suspicions  on  this  point. 

Mr  Tempest  hesitated.  "  I  admit  that  I  was,"  he 
said  at  length.  "  She  said  something  to  me  which  I 
am  not  at  liberty  to  repeat." 


178  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"Dies  it  make  Mr  Haverleigh  out  a  villain?" 
"  By  no  means,"  said  the  vicar,  hastily.  "  What  she 
told  me  is  sad,  but  not  wicked.  More  his  misfortune 
than  his  fault.  I  can  say  no  more.  I  can  keep  this 
paper,  Mr  Marton  ?  Thank  you,  sir.  Good-day,  good- 
day  !  "  and  the  vicar  walked  away,  leaving  Marton 
pondering. 

It  was  three  days  after  this,  and  when  Marton  was 
about  to  begin  his  investigation  of  the  case,  that  he 
received  a  letter  from  London.  He  was  more  sur- 
prised than  he  chose  to  say  when  he  found  that  it  came 
from  Mr  Pratt.  That  gentleman  gave  no  address — 
he  had  posted  the  letter  at  the  General  Post-office,  so 
that  even  the  district  where  he  was  hidden  should  not 
be  traced.  The  letter — as  Marton  said  afterwards — 
was  one  of  consummate  impudence,  and  it  took  him 
all  his  time  to  read  it  with  patience.  As  a  human  doc- 
ument it  possessed  a  certain  value.  The  letter  ran  as 
follows,  and  Marton  swore  as  he  read : — 

"Dear  Marton, — So  you  have  let  me  slip  through 
your  fingers  again.  Is  it  not  about  time  that  you 
stopped  setting  your  wits  against  mine  ?  .Several  times 
you  have  tried ;  but  always  you  have  been  beaten. 
Really,  you  must  take  lessons  in  the  art  of  thief- 
catching,  if  you  want  to  deserve  the  reputation  you 
possess. 

"  I  am  bound  to  say  that  but  for  the  fog  I  should 
have  been  caught.  But.  thanks  to  its  friendly  shelter, 
I  ran  back  to  my  house,  while  you  were  blundering 
about  like  a  lost  sheep,  and  warned  Adam.     I  knew 


An  Interesting  Document        179 

you  would  have  to  get  Raston  to  show  you  the  way, 
and  would  be  some  time.  Still,  I  knew  your  infernal 
pertinacity,  and  made  myself  as  scarce  as  possible  in 
a  very  short  space  of  time.  I  should  like  to  have  seen 
your  face  when  you  came  to  my  house  and  found  your 
prey  had  escaped. 

"  I  packed  up  my  jewels,  which  I  always  keep  pre- 
pared for  such  an  emergency  as  this,  and,  dressing 
myself  warmly,  I  mounted  my  bicycle.  Adam,  who 
had  likewise  made  his  preparations,  mounted  another, 
and  we  both  w^ent  down  the  main  road.  In  spite  of 
the  mist  there  was  no  difficulty.  The  highway  runs 
in  a  straight  line  to  Portfront,  and  there  was  no  vehicle 
abroad  to  make  our  traveling  dangerous.  We  did  not 
hurry,  but  took  our  time,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  get  to 
Portfront  before  the  steamer  went.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  we  did,  but  hung  about  the  outskirts  of  the  town 
until  it  was  time  to  be  aboard.  Of  course  I  do  not 
need  to  tell  you  how  I  stopped  you  from  communi- 
cating with  the  Portfront  police.  I  suggested  the  idea, 
and  Adam  climbed  the  pole  to  cut  the  telegraph  wire. 

"  We  had  a  very  pleasant  trip  as  far  as  Bognor, 
where  we  got  on  the  train,  and  stopped  at  some  sta- 
tion, the  name  of  which  I  need  not  tell  you.  We 
are  now  in  London  in  very  comfortable  circumstances. 
If  you  are  clever  enough  to  find  me — which  I  don't 
think  you  are — I  promise  to  give  myself  up  as  soon 
as  you  appear.  But  there  is  no  chance  of  mv  seeing 
you.  Better  remain  in  Colester,  my  dear  ]\Iarton,  and 
turn  farmer.  It  is  all  you  are  fit  for.  Upon  my 
honour  it  is. 


i8o  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  One  thing  I  should  Hke  to  know.  How  the  devil 
did  you  manage  to  find  out  my  retreat?  I  never 
thought  you  had  it  in  you.  I  went  to  see  Raston  on 
some  business  likely  to  enhance  my  popularity  in  the 
parish,  and  I  dropped  across  you!  For  the  first  time 
in  my  life  I  was  taken  aback.  Was  it  design  or  acci- 
dent that  I  found  you  there  ?  I  do  not  wish  to  compli- 
ment you  undeservedly. 

"  Well,  you  have  driven  me  away,  and  I  must  find 
a  new  place  in  which  to  pass  my  old  age.  It  is  too  bad 
of  you,  Marton  !  On  my  soul,  too  bad !  I  was  getting 
so  popular  in  Colester.  Now,  I  suppose,  everyone  of 
the  honest  men  are  swearing  at  me.  Yet  I  never 
robbed  them. 

"  One  other  thing.  If  you  came  down  to  investi- 
gate that  robbery  of  the  cup  I  presented  to  the  church, 
you  can  spare  yourself  the  trouble.  I  stole  it  myself. 
It  went  to  my  heart  to  lose  so  valuable  an  object,  and 
I  was  sorry  when  I  had  given  it.  I  could  not  ask  for 
it  back,  so  I  resolved  to  steal  it.  I  went  to  the  church, 
and,  as  I  am  a  small  man,  I  climbed  in  through  the 
lepers'  window.  I  got  the  cup,  climbed  out  again,  and 
went  back  to  my  house.  Then  I  was  afraid  lest  the 
cup  would  be  seen  by  chance,  and  all  my  popularity 
would  go.  I  therefore  resolved  to  pawn  it.  That  is 
a  way  I  have  kept  safe  many  a  piece  of  jewellery.  I 
could  not  go  myself,  but  I  sent  Adam.  He  is  rather 
like  Leo  Haverleigh,  and  so  that  fool  of  a  Mrs  Jeal 
made  the  mistake.  You  need  not  look  for  the  cup  in 
Battersea  now,  as  I  have  redeemed  it.  I  took  the 
ticket  from  Adam,  and  went  myself.    It  is  now  in  my 


An  Interesting  Document         i8i 

possession,  again,  and  I  do  not  intend  to  part  with  it 
any  more.  You  know  how  fond  I  am  of  beautiful 
things,  dear  Marton. 

"  Well,  I  daresay  you  guessed  that  I  stole  the  cup. 
Here  is  my  confession,  and  you  can  tell  all  those  fools 
at  Colester,  including  the  vicar,  that  Leo  Haverleigh 
is  perfectly  innocent.  He  has  not  enough  brains  to 
steal  anything.  I  only  took  back  my  own,  and  I  am 
proud  of  it,  as  I  have  bamboozled  the  lot  of  you — 
clever  Mr  Marton  included! 

"  Leo  got  the  money  with  which  he  paid  his  debts 
from  Sir  Frank  Hale.  You  can  ask  him — Hale,  I 
mean.  If  he  denies  it,  I  leave  him  to  you,  as  you  are 
clever  enough  to  get  the  truth  out  of  him.  He  wants 
to  marry  Sybil  Tempest,  and  desires  Leo  to  marry  his 
sister  Edith.  All  this  was  a  plot  to  get  Leo  into  his 
power,  and  force  him  to  do  what  was  wanted.  I  hope 
you  will  punish  the  young  man  Hale.  He  is  a  cripple, 
and  has  all  the  spite  of  one.  I  should  have  punished 
him  myself,  but  you  have  deprived  me  of  that  pleasure. 
I  therefore  call  upon  you  to  do  your  best. 

"  And  now,  my  dear  Marton,  good-bye.  Give  my 
love  to  all  the  mourning  population  of  Colester,  and 
especially  to  Mrs  Gabriel,  my  dear  and  life-long  friend. 
I  am  afraid  she  will  not  get  her  rent.  Also  I  had  the 
house  re-decorated  at  her  expense.  The  bills  will  be 
sent  in  to  her.  Let  her  pay  them  with  my  blessing.  I 
will  write  to  Leo  myself,  and  give  him  my  blessing. 
I  have  much  to  say  to  him  that  will  be  of  no  interest  to 
you.    He  is  a  good  fellow,  and  I  wish  to  see  him  mar- 


1 82  The  Pagan's  Cup 

ried  to  Sybil.    He  will  be  some  day.    I  can  manage  her 
fool  of  a  father  even  at  a  distance. 

"  Now,  I  hope  you  will  look  after  yourself,  for  my 
sake,  Marton,  So  long  as  the  Scotland  Yard  idiots 
keep  you  on  my  track,  I  am  safe.  If  you  died,  they 
might  perhaps  pick  a  clever  man,  dangerous  to  me,  my 
friend.  So,  with  all  kind  regards  and  best  wishes 
until  we  meet. — Believe  me,  my  dear  failure,  yours 
never — in  the  flesh, 

*'  Richard  Pratt." 


CHAPTER    XIV 

AN       UNEXPECTED       MEETING 

"I  HAVE  been  much  to  blame,"  said  the  vicar,  "  I 
set  myself  up  as  a  judge  when  I  had  no  right  to  do 
so.      Leo,  you  must  forgive  me." 

"  I  forgive  you  freely,"  replied  the  young  man, 
grasping  the  hand  held  out  by  Mr  Tempest.  "  Appear- 
ances were  against  me,  so  it  was  little  wonder  that 
you  did  not  entirely  trust  me.  Still,  Mr  Tempest,  you 
should  have  known  me  better  than  to  think  me  guilty 
of  such  a  crime." 

"  I  know — I  know  I  have  been  wrong." 

"  Well,  let  us  drop  the  subject.  My  character  is 
now  clear,  and  I  have  no  wish  to  recall  a  very  disa- 
greeable past." 

This  conversation  took  place  in  the  study  of  Mr 
Tempest,  and  in  the  presence  of  Sybil  and  Marton. 
The  detective  had  shown  the  vicar  the  insolent  but 
welcome  letter  he  had  received  from  Pratt.  The  con- 
fession therein  entirely  exonerated  Leo,  and  he  could 
again  hold  up  his  head.  He  and  Mr  Tempest  were 
quite  reconciled.  Sybil,  with  her  hand  in  Leo's, 
looked  thoroughly  happy. 

"  /  never  lost  faith  in  you,  Leo ! "  she  said. 
"  Sooner  or  later  I  knew  that  all  would  be  well.^' 


i84  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  I  have  to  thank  Marton  for  the  clearing  of  my 
character,  Sybil." 

''  Faith,  you  are  wrong  there ! "  said  Marton, 
smiling.  "  I  thought  you  were  innocent ;  but  as  I 
had  not  looked  into  the  case,  I  saw  no  means  of  prov- 
ing it.  Had  not  Pratt  sent  this  confession  I  should 
still  be  in  the  dark.  He  is  a  scoundrel,  but  he  is  a 
good  friend  to  you,  Haverleigh !  " 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you,"  said  Tempest,  sharply, 
for  he  was  still  sore  on  the  subject  of  the  cup.  "  Pratt 
knew  that  Leo  was  suspected,  and  he  should  have 
come  forward  long  ere  this  to  put  the  matter  right." 

"  You  ask  too  much  from  a  man  of  Pratt's  nature," 
said  Marton,  dryly.  "  It  is  wonderful  that  he  should 
have  confessed  his  guilt  even  at  the  eleventh  hour. 
However,  this  closes  the  case,  and  I  can  go  back  to 
London.  We  know  now  who  stole  the  cup,  and  we 
know  also  that  it  cannot  be  recovered.  Pratt  will 
stick  to  it  this  time.  It  was  only  his  vanity  and  de- 
sire for  popularity  that  made  him  give  it  away  in  the 
first  instance." 

"  If  it  came  back  to  me  I  should  never  accept  it," 
said  the  vicar,  emphatically.  "  A  stolen  cup  should 
never  have  been  put  to  sacred  uses.  I  wonder  at  the 
daring  of  the  man !  " 

"  Oh !  a  man  like  Pratt  is  capable  of  anything," 
said  Marton,  with  a  shrug.  "  But  you  will  never 
see  him  again,  Mr  Tempest.  And  now,  Mr  Haver- 
leigh, I  think  you  should  see  Sir  Frank  Hale  and  make 
him  confess  that  he  lent  you  the  money." 

"  There  will  be  no  difficulty  about  that,"   replied 


An  Unexpected  Meeting  185 

Leo.  "  Hale  told  only  two  people  that  he  repudiated 
all  knowledge  of  the  loan.  One  was  my  aunt,  the 
other  myself.  He  is  too  cunning  to  tell  the  world 
the  untruth  he  told  us.  Besides,  my  character  being 
cleared,  he  can  have  no  further  hold  over  me.  I  fear 
he  will  be  angry." 

"  I  am  certain  he  will.     Let  us  see  him  together." 

Leo  was  quite  willing  to  do  this,  so  after  taking  a 
fond  leave  of  Sybil,  and  a  cordial  one  of  her  father, 
he  set  out  with  the  detective  to  bring  Sir  Frank  Hale 
to  his  bearings.  On  the  way  Marton  asked  Leo's  per- 
mission to  touch  upon  a  delicate  subject.  Haverleigh 
told  him  to  speak  freely.  "  I  owe  you  too  much  to 
take  offence  at  anything  you  may  say,"  he  observed. 
"  You  have  been  my  very  good  friend,  Marton." 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,"  replied  the  detective, 
brightly ;  "  and  I  really  do  not  deserve  your  thanks. 
Any  help  I  have  given  you  has  been  purely  accidental. 
If  Pratt  had  held  his  tongue,  you  would  still  have 
been  in  the  same  position  as  before.  But  I  am  bound 
to  say,  Haverleigh,  that  even  before  the  arrival  of 
this  letter  Mr  Tempest  expressed  his  belief  in  your 
innocence." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  said  Leo.  "  He  treated  me 
badly,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  me  to  hear  that  his  own 
good  sense  told  him  I  was  innocent  before  he  had  the 
actual  proof.  I  am  anxious  to  stand  well  with  him, 
Marton." 

"  Ah !  That  is  the  matter  I  wish  to  discuss.  I  see 
that  you  and  Miss  Tempest  are  much  attached  to  one 


1 86  The  Pagan's  Cup 

another.  Do  you  think  the  vicar  will  consent  to  the 
marriage?  " 

"  I  really  can't  say.  Even  before  this  scandal  he 
seemed  to  be  displeased  with  me,  and  kept  me  away 
from  his  house  as  much  as  possible.  He  did  not  want 
to  see  me,  and  he  would  not  let  me  see  Sybil.  We  had 
to  meet  by  stealth.  Now  he  may  have  changed  his 
mind." 

"  And  if  he  has  ?    What,  then  ?  " 

"  Then  I  can  announce  my  engagement  to  Sybil," 
said  Leo.  "  But,  you  see,  I  am  not  in  a  position  to 
marry,  and  may  not  be  for  a  long  time.  I  have  to 
make  my  way  in  the  world,  and  to  make  money  also. 
I  thought  of  enlisting  for  this  war,  and  of  fighting  my 
way  through  the  ranks  to  a  commission." 

"  Even  then  I  do  not  see  how  you  could  marry.  You 
might  gain  a  commission,  but  not  money.  Until  your 
worldly  prospects  are  more  secure,  I  do  not  think  you 
should  engage  yourself  to  Miss  Tempest." 

"  That  is  straight  speaking,  Marton." 

"  You  gave  me  permission  to  speak  out.  I  like 
you,  Haverleigh,  and  after  the  trouble  you  have  come 
through  I  think  you  should  be  rewarded  by  getting 
your  heart's  desire.  But  if  you  love  Miss  Temple,  you 
v/ill  not  marry  her  until  you  can  give  her  a  comforta- 
ble home.  Even  if  you  are  successful  in  South  Africa, 
a  baggage  waggon  is  not  the  place  for  a  delicate  girl. 
You  can  offer  her  nothing  better  than  that." 

"  True  enough.  I  admit  that  what  you  say  is  cor- 
rect.    But  what  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  detective,  after  a  pause,     "  it  seems 


An  Unexpected  Meeting  187 

to  me  that  30U  have  some  claim  upon  your  aunt.  She 
took  charge  of  you  and  brought  you  up.  I  under- 
stand she  intimated  that  you  would  be  her  heir,  and 
you  received  an  education  to  fit  you  for  the  position. 
If  she  intended  to  send  you  adrift  as  she  has  done, 
she  should  at  least  have  had  you  taught  some  profes- 
sion or  trade  whereby  you  could  earn  your  bread  and 
butter.  Yes;  I  think  you  have  a  right  to  demand 
some  assistance  from  her." 

Leo  shook  his  head  and  flushed.  "  I  can't  bring 
myself  to  do  that,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice.  '*  She  has 
insulted  me  so  deeply  that  it  goes  against  my  nature 
to  eat  humble  pie.  I  would  rather  make  my  own  way 
in  the  world.  As  to  Sybil,  I  shall  not  ask  her  to  en- 
gage herself  to  me  until — as  you  say — I  can  offer  her 
a  home." 

"  You  can  do  nothing  but  enlist,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  No.  Soldiering  is  all  I  am  fit  for.  Now  that  my 
name  has  been  cleared  I  will  bid  farewell  to  Sybil  and 
enlist  straight  away.  She  will  wait  for  me,  I  am  cer- 
tain. I  get  my  commission  I  can  perhaps  see  my 
way  to  make  her  my  wife.  If  I  am  shot — well,"  Leo 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  "  there  is  an  end  to  all  things." 

"  Haverleigh !  "  said  IMarton,  after  a  pause.  "  Will 
you  tell  me  what  reason  your  aunt  has  for  disliking 
you  so  much  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  She  has  always  been  stern  and  hard 
with  me.  Lately  she  has  openly  hated  me.  That  is 
why  I  left  her." 

"  There  is  something  connected  with  you  that  is 
.wrong  ?  " 


1 88  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Not  to  my  knowledge.  I  have  been  foolish,  but 
not  wilfully  wicked." 

"  I  know  that.  But  Mrs  Gabriel  knows  something 
— it  may  be  about  your  parents — that  has  prejudiced 
the  vicar  against  you.  It  was  her  influence  that  made 
him  turn  against  you.  He  admitted  as  much  to  me. 
But  he  refused  to  say  what  she  had  told  him." 

"  I  guessed  all  this,"  said  Leo,  quietly ;  "  but  what 
can  I  do?" 

"  Insist  upon  knowing  what  has  been  said.  You 
have  a  right  to.  If  the  vicar  will  not  speak  out — and 
he  has  given  his  word  not  to — Mrs  Gabriel  may  be 
forced  to  do  so.  Were  I  you,  Haverleigh,  I  should 
see  her  and  insist  upon  an  explanation." 

"  She  won't  give  it." 

"  I  should  force  it  out  of  her,"  said  Marton,  de- 
terminedly. "  Oh !  I  know  she  is  a  hard  woman,  but 
if  you  persevere  she  must  give  way." 

Leo  thought  for  a  fev.^  moments.  "  Well,  Marton,," 
he  said  at  length,  "  I  will  see  the  vicar  first  and  speak 
to  him  on  the  subject  of  Sybil.  From  what  he  says 
I  may  see  the  reason  of  his  attitude  towards  me.  Then 
I  can  call  upon  Mrs  Gabriel.  You  may  be  sure  I  shall 
do  my  best." 

Marton  nodded,  but  said  no  more  for  the  present,  as 
by  this  time  they  were  at  the  door  of  Hale's  house. 
A  demure  servant  opened  the  door  and  took  in  their 
names.  Shortly  she  ushered  them  into  a  room  where 
Sir  Frank  was  seated  in  a  chair  by  the  window  read- 
ing to  his  sister.  Edith  Hale  looked  pale  and  ill.  She 
lay  on  a  sofa,  but  started  up  and  blushed  rosy  red  when 


An  Unexpected  Meeting  189 

she  saw  Leo.  There  was  no  doubt  that  the  poor  girl 
was  deeply  in  love  with  the  young  man,  Leo,  in  the 
kindness  of  his  heart,  felt  a  pang.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  he  was  treating  her  cruelly,  although  the  position 
was  none  of  his  making. 

"  Good-day ! "  said  Hale,  without  rising,  and  in- 
cluding Leo  and  Marton  in  one  swift  glance.  "  I 
am  surprised  to  see  you,  Haverleigh.  I  thought  you 
did  not  care  about  keeping  up  my  acquaintance." 

Leo  would  have  replied  sharply,  but  as  Edith  was 
present  he  cast  a  meaning  glance  in  her  direction.  "  I 
should  like  to  speak  with  you  alone,"  he  said,  "  that 
is,  in  the  presence  of  Mr  Marton." 

Before  Hale  could  reply  Marton  interposed.  "  Wait 
a  bit,"  he  said  in  his  smooth  voice,  and  with  a  glance 
at  the  girl.  "  There  is  something  to  be  said  first  in 
the  presence  of  Miss  Hale." 

"In  my  presence!"  she  exclaimed^  turning  red, 
while  her  brother  scowled. 

"  Yes.  Something  you  will  be  pleased  to  hear. 
You  both  know  that  Mr  Haverleigh  has  been  accused 
of  stealing  this  chapel  cup." 

"  I  never  believed  it,  never !  "  cried  Edith,  eagerly, 
and  Leo  gave  her  a  look  of  gratitude,  which  made 
her  turn  pale  with  emotion. 

"And  you,  Sir  Frank?" 

Hale  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  I  never  thought 
much  about  the  subject,"  he  said,  the  lie  coming  at 
once  to  his  practised  lips.  "  The  evidence  was  against 
Haverleigh,  I  admit;  but  I  tried  to  think  the  best  of 
him." 


I90  The  Pagan's  Gup 

"  Your  speech  is  rather  contradictory,  Sir  Frank," 
was  the  dry  response  of  Marton.  "  But  I  think  you 
must  have  thought  well  of  Haverleigh  or  you  yould 
not  have  helped  him  out  of  his  difficulty  by  lending 
him  money." 

"  Oh,  Frank,  did  you  do  that  ?  "  cried  Edith,  taking 
her  brother's  hand.  "  I  love  you  for  it.  How  good 
you  are !  " 

Hale's  face  grew  blacker  and  blacker.  Had  he  been 
alone  he  would  have  lied,  but  in  the  presence  of  the 
sister  he  loved  so  deeply  he  could  not  bring  himself  to 
deny  the  truth.  Moreover,  he  had  a  kind  of  instinc- 
tive feeling  that  Marton  had  come  to  proclaim  the 
innocence  of  Leo,  else  why  should  he  come  at  all? 
His  plot  of  getting  Leo  into  his  power  had  failed — he 
was  clever  enough  to  see  that — so  it  only  remained  for 
him  to  retreat  with  as  much  dignity  as  possible. 

"  I  was  only  too  glad  to  help  Haverleigh,"  he  said 
quietly,  and  with  marked  courtesy.  "  He  was  in  debt, 
and  the  three  hundred  pounds  I  gave  him  was  of  some 
use,  I  believe.  I  beg  that  he  will  say  no  more  on  the 
subject." 

"  How  good  you  are — how  good  you  are !  "  gasped 
Edith,  caressing  her  brother.  Leo  and  Marton  glanced 
at  one  another.  Hale's  masterly  retreat  took  them 
both  by  surprise.  When  Leo  remembered  the  con- 
versation in  the  chapel  he  could  hardly  believe  his 
ears.  The  only  thing  to  be  done  was  to  beat  the  man 
with  his  own  weapons. 

"  I  will  say  no  more.  Hale,  save  that  when  I  am  able 


An  Unexpected  Meeting  191 

the  money  shall  be  repaid.  I  thank  you  heartily  for 
your  kindness." 

Sir  Frank  bit  his  lip,  but  summoned  up  sufficient 
dignity  to  be  gracious.  He  and  Leo  were  both  wear- 
ing masks  for  the  benefit  of  Edith.  "  Pay  the  money 
when  you  like,"  he  said,  sitting  up.  "  I  am  shortly 
going  abroad  with  my  sister,  and  I  do  not  think  we 
shall  see  one  another  for  a  long  time.  However,  my 
solicitor  at  Portfront  will  attend  to  the  matter  of  the 
loan." 

"  Then  there  really  teas  a  loan,"  said  ]\Iarton,  de- 
termined to  get  the  plain  truth  out  of  Hale  in  the 
presence  of  witnesses. 

'■  Certainly.  I  gave  Leo  three  hundred  pounds  in 
gold.     I  have  already  said  so." 

"  And  it  was  with  that  loan  he  paid  his  debts  ? " 
pursued  ]\Iarton. 

"  Yes,"  said  Leo,  seeing  his  drift,  "  I  paid  them 
with  that  money.  But  the  good  people  here  declared 
that  I  sold  the  cup  to  pay  them!  " 

"How  could  they!  How  could  they!"  muttered 
Edith. 

"  Because  they  are  fools,"  cried  Sir  Frank,  seeing 
that  he  was  completely  beaten,  "  For  my  part,  I  never 
believed  that  Haverleigh  did  such  a  thing!  " 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Leo,  inwardly  smiling  at  the 
lie. 

"  Then  you  will  be  delighted  to  hear  that  the  thief 
has  been  found." 

As  ^Vlarton  spoke  Hale  suddenly  turned  pale,  and 


192  The  Pagan's  Cup 

rose  with  an  effort.  "  The  thief  has  been — found !  " 
he  stammered. 

"  Yes,"  repHed  Marton,  with  a  swift  glance,  think- 
ing at  once  of  his  theory  of  a  conspiracy.  ''  It  seems 
that  this  man  Angel — I  beg  your  pardon,  you  know 
him  as  Pratt — stole  the  cup." 

"  But  it  was  Mr  Pratt  who  gave  it!  "  cried  Edith. 

"  Quite  so.  Miss  Hale.  Afterwards  he  was  sorry 
that  his  generosity  had  led  him  to  make  so  great  a  sac- 
rifice.    Therefore  he  stole  what  he  had  bestowed." 

"  And  what  about  this  story  of  Mrs  Jeal  ?  "  asked 
Hale,  trying  to  be  amiable. 

"  Oh !  that  was  part  of  the  business,  Sir  Frank. 
Pratt  thought  the  cup  would  be  seen  here,  even  if  he 
kept  it  in  his  house.  So  he  sent  it  up  to  London  to 
be  pawned  for  safe  keeping.  You  do  not  understand 
why  this  should  be  done.  But  then  you  have  never 
come  into  contact  with  a  man  like  Pratt.  However, 
for  reasons  I  need  not  explain,  he  pawned  the  cup. 
His  servant  Adam  is  rather  like  Mr  Haverleigh,  and 
it  was  thus  that  Mrs  Jeal,  not  having  a  clear  view, 
made  a  mistake.     You  understand.  Sir  Frank?" 

"  Quite,"  replied  Hale  in  a  strangled  voice.  He 
was  pale  and  anxious-looking.  Leo  thought  that  this 
was  anger  at  his  escape.  But  Marton  took  another 
and  a  more  serious  view. 

"  I  am  sure  you  are  pleased  that  Haverleigh's  char- 
acter has  been  cleared." 

"  I  am  pleased — very — very  pleased,"  said  Edith, 
joyfully,  "  and  so  is  Frank.    Are  you  not,  Frank  ?  " 

"  Yes !    very  pleased."    Hale  forced  himself  to  say 


An  Unexpected  Meeting  193 

so  much ;  then  he  walked  to  the  door.  "  I  am  not 
well,"  he  said,  turning  for  a  moment ;  "  you  will  ex- 
cuse me,  gentlemen.  My  sister  will  see  you  out.  If 
you — "  He  paused,  and  darting  a  look  of  hatred  at 
Leo,  left  the  room.  Haverleigh  was  more  surprised 
than  Marton,  who  had  captured  a  fresh  idea,  and  was 
already  building  up  a  theory. 

Leo  remained  only  a  short  time.  He  was  most  em- 
barrassed by  the  looks  of  Edith,  and  escaped  as  speed- 
ily as  courtesy  permitted.  When  they  left  the  house 
and  were  some  distance  on  the  road,  Marton  spoke. 
"  I  think  there  is  insanity  in  that  family,"  he  said. 

"Why  do  you  think  so?" 

"  The  girl  is  queer.  No  woman  in  her  sane  senses 
would  give  herself  away  as  she  does.  The  brother  is 
a  cripple,  and  queer  too.  Never  you  marry  into  that 
lot,  Haverleigh !     They  have  some  hereditary  taint." 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  marrying  anyone  but  Sybil," 
said  Leo,  dryly ;  "  but  did  you  see  how  Hale  backed 
out  of  his  false  position?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  I  believe  he  has  more  to  do  with  this 
matter  than  you  think.  I  should  not  be  at  all  sur- 
prised to  find  that  he  and  Mrs  Gabriel  for  some  rea- 
son had  been  working  together  against  you.  Oh ! 
there  has  been — there  may  be  yet  some  conspiracy 
against  you." 

"  I  can  understand  Hale  conspiring,"  said  Leo ;  "  he 
wants  to  marry  Sybil,  and  wishes  Edith  to  become 
my  wife.     But  Mrs  Gabriel,  why  should  she  ?  " 

"  We  have  yet  to  find  that  out,"  interrupted  Mar- 
ton.    "  Go  and  see  what  the  vicar  says.     I  must  be 


194  The  Pagan's  Cup 

alone  for  a  time.  I  want  to  think  the  matter  out.  At 
all  events,  Hale  has  acknowledged  that  he  lent  you  the 
money,  in  the  presence  of  witnesses.  You  are  all  right 
in  that  quarter.  I  daresay  he'll  make  another  attempt 
to  best  you,  though." 

"  Nonsense.  Did  you  not  hear  him  say  that  he  was 
going  abroad  with  his  sister?  I  think  he  will  leave 
me  alone  now." 

"Perhaps,"  replied  Marton,  thoughtfully.  "We'll 
see.  I'll  believe  he  is  going  abroad  when  he  is  across 
the  Channel.  I'm  off  for  a  long  walk,"  and  the  de- 
tective set  off  at  a  brisk  pace. 

Leo  thought  no  more  about  this  especial  matter, 
leaving  it  entirely  to  Marton.  Forthwith  he  re- 
turned to  the  Vicarage,  saw  Mr  Tempest,  and  then  and 
there  asked  him  if  he  objected  to  him  as  a  suitor  for 
Sybil.  At  this  very  direct  question  Mr  Tempest 
wriggled  and  looked  uncomfortable. 

"  You  put  a  very  painful  question  to  me,  Leo,"  he 
said,  after  a  pause.  "  I  am  ashamed  of  myself  for 
having  ^bought  so  ill  of  you,  and  I  should  like  to 
make  amends,  if  possible.  I  know  that  you  are  at- 
tached to  Sybil,  but  now  that  you  are  at  variance  with 
your  aunt,  I  do  not  see  that  you  are  justified  in  asking 
me  to  consent  to  this  engagement." 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,"  said  Leo,  proudly,  "  and 
I  do  not  intend  to  engage  myself  until  I  am  in  a  bet- 
ter position.  All  I  ask  is  that  you  will  not  force 
Sybil  to  marry  Hale  when  I  am  away." 

"  I  should  not  let  her  marry  Hale  in  any  case !  " 
cried  the  vicar,  angrily.     "  I   would  never  give  my 


An  Unexpected  Meeting  195 

child  to  a  cripple.  Moreover,  the  Hales  are  not  so 
sane  as  they  might  be.  And,  Leo,  I  shall  not  force 
Sybil's  inclinations  in  any  way.  She  can  remain  un- 
married all  her  life  if  she  pleases." 

"  That  is  all  I  want,"  said  Leo,  gladly.  "  I  am  go- 
ing to  enlist,  Mr  Tempest,  and  if  I  get  a  commission 
there  may  be  some  chance  of  my  asking  Sybil  to  be 
my  wife.  She  will  be  true  to  me  while  I  am  away ; 
I  know  she  will." 

"  Humph !  "  said  the  vicar,  doubtfully.  "  A  com- 
mission, eh  ?  " 

Leo  interpreted  his  objection.  "  Then  you  have 
something  against  me  personally,"  he  said,  "  and  for 
this  reason  you  do  not  want  me  to  think  of  Sybil  in 
any  way.     What  is  the  matter,  Mr  Tempest?  " 

"  I  can't  tell  you,  Leo."  The  vicar  looked  directly 
at  him.  "  So  far  as  you  are  concerned,  I  do  not  wish 
for  a  better  husband  for  my  daughter,  but  Mrs  Gabriel 
has  informed  me  of  something  which  makes  me  un- 
willing to  countenance  the  marriage.  Don't  ask  me 
what  it  is.     I  canot  tell  you." 

"  I  do  not  ask  you  to  tell  me,  Mr  Tempest.  This 
very  night  I  shall  ask  INIrs  Gabriel  herself  what  she 
has  been  saying." 

"  Better  not,"  advised  the  vicar.  "  It  will  only 
cause  you  much  distress." 

Leo  looked  at  him  in  astonishment.  WHiat  could 
his  aunt  have  been  saying  about  him  or  his  parents 
likely  to  make  the  vicar  take  so  strong  a  view  of  the 
matter?  "  If  there  is  anything  wrong  I  have  a  right 
to  know,"  he  said  at  length.     "  I  shall   insist  upon 


196  The  Pagan's  Cup 

an  explanation,  Mr  Tempest.  If  I  discover  any  valid 
reason  why  I  should  give  Sybil  up,  I  am  quite  ready 
to  yield.  When  you  next  see  me,  Mr  Tempest,  I  shall 
either  have  given  up  the  idea  of  marrying  your  daugh- 
ter, or  I  shall  insist  upon  marrying  her  in  spite  of  you 
and  Mrs  Gabriel !  You  cannot  say  that  I  am  treat- 
ing you  unfairly.     I  go  now." 

"  But,  my  dear  boy — "  called  out  Mr  Tempest,  much 
distressed.  He  spoke  to  the  empty  air.  Leo  had  al- 
ready left  the  room  and  was  out  of  the  gate. 

After  leaving  The  Nun's  House,  Leo  had  taken  up 
his  residence  at  the  Colester  Arms.  Marton  was  there 
also,  and  Leo  expected  to  see  him  at  dinner.  He  was 
anxious  to  tell  him  what  the  vicar  had  said.  But  the 
detective  did  not  return  from  his  walk,  and  after 
waiting  for  him  till  close  upon  nine  o'clock,  Leo  left 
the  hotel  and  walked  towards  the  castle  to  have  it  out 
with  Mrs  Gabriel, 

The  night  was  moonless,  but  there  were  many  stars. 
Here  and  there  a  swathe  of  mist  lay  on  the  plains  be- 
low; but  up  on  the  hills  all  was  comparatively  clear. 
Leo,  who  knew  every  inch  of  Colester,  walked  slowly 
out  of  the  town  gate  and  crossed  to  the  other  hill. 
He  took  a  narrow  private  path  which  he  knew  of, 
wishing  to  get  unobserved  to  the  castle.  Just  at  the 
foot  of  this  path  he  met  Marton.  The  recognition 
was  mutual. 

"  You  are  going  to  see  Mrs  Gabriel  ? "  said  the 
detective. 

"Yes.     Where  have  you  been,  Marton?" 

"  I  have  been  trying  to  see  her,  but  she  is  ill — at 


An  Unexpected  Meeting  197 

least  so  the  butler  says.  I  suspect,  however,  this  is 
a  lie.     She  doesn't  want  to  see  me !  " 

"  Shall  I—" 

"  Yes,  you  go  up.  I  must  return  to  the  hotel  and 
get  some  dinner.  I  have  been  walking  and  thinking 
until  I  am  worn  out.  I'll  wait  your  return,  and  we 
can  talk  over  the  matter." 

"What  matter?" 

"  The  conspiracy  of  Mrs  Gabriel  and  Hale,"  said 
Marton,  promptly.  "  Get  on  with  you,  Haverleigh. 
I'm  off  to  dinner."  And  he  went  away  at  a  quick 
pace,  leaving  Leo  much  astonished. 

However,  there  was  no  use  in  standing  and  won- 
dering, so  he  pursued  his  way.  As  Mrs  Gabriel  was 
said  to  be  ill,  and  had  denied  herself  to  Marton,  it  was 
not  unlikely  that  he  would  be  treated  in  the  same  way. 
Therefore,  instead  of  going  to  the  front  door,  Leo 
went  round  the  castle  on  to  the  terrace.  This  was  shut 
off  from  the  rest  of  the  ground  by  a  high  fence  with  a 
gate  in  it.  Leo  had  retained  the  key  of  this  gate  and 
had  no  difficulty  in  getting  in.  The  room  which  looked 
on  to  the  terrace  was  lighted,  but  the  blinds  were 
down.  Leo  peered  in.  He  saw  Mrs  Gabriel  seated  in 
a  chair.    Standing  near  her  was  Mr  Richard  Pratt. 


CHAPTER     XV 

A      NEW      COMPLICATION 

Leo  was  so  surprised  by  this  unexpected  sight  that 
for  the  moment  he  stood  still.  Then  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  interview  the  pair.  Mrs  Gabriel  and  Pratt 
evidently  understood  one  another,  and  the  two  of 
them  together  might  probably  tell  him  more  about 
himself  than  one  would  do.  Moreover,  Leo  was  an- 
gry at  the  way  in  which  Pratt  had  let  him  lie  under 
the  imputation  of  being  a  thief  when  he  could  have 
lifted  the  disgrace  from  off  his  shoulders.  Certainly 
Pratt  could  have  done  so  only  at  the  risk  of  incrim- 
inating himself,  but  at  the  time  Leo  was  too  much 
annoyed  to  think  of  this.  He  saw  that  there  was 
some  mystery,  and  thinking  it  might  have  to  do  with 
Mrs  Gabriel's  enmity  towards  himself,  he  interrupted 
what  seemed  to  be  a  furious  conversation  by  knock- 
ing at  the  window. 

Mrs  Gabriel  and  Pratt  turned  in  the  direction 
where  the  sound  came,  she  with  a  pale  face,  and 
Pratt  with  a  levelled  revolver  which  he  took  from  his 
breast  pocket.  Leo  might  have  been  in  danger  of  his 
life,  but  that  he  chanced  to  remember  a  peculiar  tune 
which  Pratt  had  taught  him,  in  order  to  announce  his 
coming  while  he  was  staying  at  The  Nun's  House.  At 
the  time  Leo  had  thought  this  was  only  a  freak  of  the 


A  New  Complication  199 

old  man's,  but  now  that  he  knew  who  Pratt  was,  he 
saw  that  there  was  use  in  it,  to  Pratt  if  not  to  himself. 
At  all  events,  he  began  to  whistle. 

Hardly  had  he  got  through  the  first  few  bars  be- 
fore Pratt's  watchful  attitude  relaxed,  and  he  tossed 
the  revolver  on  to  the  table.  j\Irs  Gabriel  still  con- 
tinued to  look  agitated,  but  Pratt  stepped  towards  the 
window  and  opened  it  coolly. 

"  I  knew  it  was  you,"  he  said,  pulling  Leo  into  the 
room  and  shutting  the  window.  "'  It  is  a  lucky  thing 
you  remembered  my  signal,  else  I  might  have  drilled 
a  hole  in  you.  You  come  at  a  happy  moment."  Here 
he  stopped  and  looked  suspiciousl}^  at  the  young  man. 
"  Have  you  that  infernal  jMarton  with  you  ?  "  he  asked, 
with  a  glance  at  the  window  and  a  movement  towards 
the  revolver. 

"  No,  no,"  replied  Leo,  hastily.     "  I  am  all  alone." 

"  That's  a  good  thing,"  said  Pratt,  .grimly.  "  I  won't 
be  taken  alive,  I  promise  you.  But  I  knew  you  would 
not  give  me  away.  I  said  so  to  ISIrs  Gabriel.  She 
said  you  w^ould — speaking  the  worst  of  you  as  usual." 

Leo  was  too  much  taken  aback  by  the  discovery  that 
Pratt  was  in  the  castle  to  reply  immediately.  More- 
over, the  man  was  so  cool  and  composed  that  he  felt 
as  though  he  were  in  the  wrong.  He  tried  to  collect 
his  scattered  thoughts,  but  before  he  could  open  his 
mouth  ]\Irs  Gabriel  spoke  in  her  usual  domineering 
tones. 

"What  are  you  doing  here,  Leo?"  she  asked. 
"How  did  you  get  on  to  the  terrace?  No  one  can 
get  on  without  the  kev  of  the  gate." 


200  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  I  happen  to  have  the  key,"  said  Leo,  showing  it. 
"  You  gave  it  to  me  yourself  some  years  ago.  When 
I  left  you  I  took  it  with  me  by  mistake.  It  has  come 
in  useful  to-night.  You  may  thank  your  stars,  both 
of  you,  that  I  did  not  bring  Marton  back  with  me. 
He  left  me  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  with  a  story  that 
you  were  ill,  Mrs.  Gabriel." 

"  Leo,"  said  Pratt  in  an  agitated  tone,  "  surely  you 
would  not  have  brought  the  man  here  to  get  me  into 
trouble?" 

"  I  did  not  know  you  were  here,"  said  Haverleigh, 
carelessly,  for  he  was  still  angered  at  the  man. 

"  I  have  been  here  ever  since  the  night  I  fled  from 
Raston's  house.  It  was  Adam  who  went  on  to  London 
and  cut  the  wire." 

"  And  the  letter  in  which  you  said  you  had  stolen 
the  cup  ?  " 

"  I  wrote  that  here  and  posted  it  to  Adam  that  he 
might  send  it  from  London.  Mrs  Gabriel  helped  me 
to  hide.  No  one  knows  that  I  am  in  this  house  save 
herself,  and  now  you  are  a  sharer  in  our  secret." 

"  It  must  be  difficult  to  keep  your  presence  here 
a  secret  from  the  servants,"  said  Leo,  wondering  how 
the  man  had  forced  Mrs  Gabriel  to  help. 

Here  the  lady  herself  interfered.  "  It  is  not  dif- 
ficult at  all,"  she  said  in  her  most  offensive  tones. 
"  You  know  nothing  of  what  you  are  talking  about. 
Pratt  is  up  In  the  tower  room,  and  I  take  him  food 
myself  from  my  own  meals.  It  Is  Impossible  that  any- 
one can  guess." 

"  Well,  my  dear  aunt,"  said  Haverleigh,  emphat- 


A  New  Complication  201 

ically,  "  I  know  that  Pratt  is  here.  I  think,  therefore, 
you  had  better  behave  towards  me  in  a  more  civil 
manner." 

"  Ha !  "  scoffed  ]\Irs  Gabriel,  folding  her  arms  and 
looking  defiant.  '"  You  would  not  dare  to  state  the 
truth." 

"'  How  do  you  know  that  ?  "  said  Leo,  dryly.  'Tratt 
is  wanted  by  the  law.  He  committed  a  tlieft  here 
and  allowed  me  to  lie  under  suspicion.  Why  should 
I  not  give  him  up  and  accuse  you  of  being  an  acces- 
sory to  his  concealment  ?  " 

Mrs  Gabriel  frowned  and  her  black  eyes  flashed, 
but  Pratt,  who  had  taken  a  seat,  did  not  move.  He 
merely  laughed.  "  I  don't  think  you  will  give  away, 
Leo,"  he  said.  "  I  admit  that  Mrs  Gabriel  is  enough 
to  irritate  a  saint;  but  if  you  punish  her  you  punish 
me  also." 

"  And  you  deserve  punishment,"  retorted  Leo. 

"  Probably  I  do;  but  I  have  my  own  opinion  of  the 
matter.  All  I  ask  you  to  do  is  to  hold  your  tongue 
imtil  such  a  time  as  I  can  get  away." 

"  \Vlien  are  you  going  away  ?  " 

"  Soon,  I  hope,"  cried  Mrs  Gabriel,  spitefully.  "  I 
am  rather  tired  of  having  a  jail-bird  in  my  house." 

"  Oh !  you  refer  to  that  American  affair,"  said 
Pratt,  airily.  "  I  had  quite  forgotten  it.  Well,  my 
dear  lady,  I  do  not  intend  to  burden  you  with  my 
presence  after  to-morrow.  By  this  time  no  one  will 
be  watching  for  me  hereabouts,  as  I  am  supposed  to  be 
in  London.  I  shall  go  to-morrow  night  and  return 
to  my  London  quarters,  where  Adam  awaits  me.    By 


202  The  Pagan's  Gup 

the  way,  Haverleigh,  has  that  fool  of  a  detective 
gone  ?  " 

"  He  is  going  to-morrow,"  said  Leo  in  a  surly 
tone. 

"  All  the  better.  We  can  travel  to  London  together. 
Ah,  you  smile,  my  dear  Leo,  but  I  assure  you  that  if 
I  chose  to  travel  with  Marton  I  should  do  so.  I  can 
disguise  myself  so  effectively  that  even  he  would  not 
know  me.     It  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  baffled  him." 

"  Look  here,  Mr  Pratt,  or  whatever  you  choose  to 
call  yourself,"  said  the  young  man,  calmly,  "  you  have 
been  kind  to  me  in  your  own  way,  and  I  do  not  want 
to  take  advantage  of  your  present  unfortunate  posi- 
tion. At  the  same  time,  you  are  a  thief  and  a  crimi- 
nal, and  I  want  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  you.  Mrs 
Gabriel  may  approve  of  your  company,  but  I  do  not 
wish  to  have  you  for  a  friend.  I  shall  hold  my 
tongue,  but  I  recommend  you  to  leave  this  place  as 
soon  as  possible." 

Mrs  Gabriel  glared  at  Leo,  as  she  could  ill  brook 
his  references  to  herself.  She  half  rose  as  though 
she  would  have  flown  at  him,  but  a  glance  from  Pratt 
quelled  her,  and  she  sat  down  with  more  meekness 
than  could  have  been  expected  from  such  a  redoubta- 
ble termagant.  Pratt,  still  keeping  his  temper,  turned 
to  Leo.  "  It  is  very  good  of  you  to  interest  yourself 
in  my  movements,"  he  said  in  silky  tones,  "  but  I  can 
look  after  myself.  It  is  a  grief,  my  dear  fellow,  a 
great  grief,  that  I  should  be  compelled  to  leave  this 
neighbourhood.     I  like  the  place,  and  the  people  are 


A  New  Complication  203 

fairly  agreeable.  I  was  nicely  settled  in  The  Nun's 
House,  and — " 

"  Surrounded  with  stolen  goods,"  interrupted  Leo, 
wrath  fully. 

Pratt  sighed.  "  I  had  some  charming  things,"  he 
said ;  "  how  I  shall  miss  them !  I  am  too  old  to  make 
another  such  collection.  I  suppose  they  have  all  re- 
turned to  the  people  I  took  them  from,  I  fear  the 
stupid  creatures  will  not  appreciate  them  as  I  have 
done." 

Pratt's  impudence  was  so  consummate  tTiat  Leo 
could  not  help  laughing,  but  Mrs  Gabriel  rose  in  a 
black  iury  and  shook  her  fist  in  the  man's  face.  "  How 
dare  you  boast  of  your  iniquities  in  my  house  ?  "  she 
cried. 

"  In  your  house,  my  dear  lady "  queried  Pratt, 
blandly.  jMrs  Gabriel  got  very  white  and  sat  down 
again.  Apparently  Pratt  had  some  power  over  her, 
which  she  was  afraid  he  might  use.  Leo  had  never 
seen  the  woman  so  cowed. 

"  Well,  well,"  continued  Pratt,  stretching  his  legs ; 
"  I  have  to  go,  thanks  to  that  wretched  man  Marton. 
How  was  it  he  appeared  so  unexpectedly  ?  " 

"  Raston  sent  for  him  to  London  to  find  out  who 
committed  the  robbery." 

"Ah!"  Pratt  laughed.  ''I  hope  Mr  Marton  is 
satisfied  now.     My  letter  should  have  pleased  him." 

"  It  pleased  me  more,"  said  Leo,  bluntly ;  "  my 
name  is  now  clear!  And  you  will  be  glad  to  hear," 
he  added,  turning  to  Mrs  Gabriel,  "  that  Hale,  in  the 
presence  of  Marton  and  his  sister,  confessed  that  he 


204  The  Pagan's  Cup 

lent  me  the  money,  I  am  afraid  your  plot  against  me 
has  failed,  my  dear  aunt." 

"  Hold  your  tongue !  "  said  Mrs  Gabriel,  angrily. 

"  No.  The  time  has  passed  for  that.  I  am  no 
longer  in  your  power.  J  intend  to  make  my  own  way 
in  the  world." 

"  With  assistance  from  i\Irs  Gabriel,"  said  Pratt, 
quietly.  "  She  will  start  you  with  a  thousand 
pounds,  my  dear  Leo." 

"  I  won't  give  one  penny,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel,  glar- 
ing. "  You  can  do  your  very  worst,  Pratt.  I  have 
been  your  milch  cow  long  enough." 

"  I  would  not  take  anything  from  her,"  said  Leo, 
interposing;  "and  I'll  thank  you,  Mr  Pratt,  to  leave 
my  affairs  alone.  If  you  will  persist  in  meddling  with 
them,  I  shall  not  keep  my  promise  of  silence." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  will !  "  chimed  in  Pratt,  fixing  him 
with  his  eye.     "  You  dare  not  betray  me,  Leo." 

"  Dare  not !  "  echoed  the  young  man,  angrily. 

"  Not  unless  you  want  to  be  called  an  unnatural 
son,  my  boy !  "  Leo  stared,  not  taking  in  the  mean- 
ing of  this  speech.  "  For  you  are  my  son,  Leo," 
added  Pratt  in  low  tones,  his  eyes  never  leaving  Hav- 
erleigh's  face. 

"  Your — your —     Great  Heavens !  " 

Mrs  Gabriel  burst  into  a  taunting  laugh.  "  Ah, 
you  know  it  at  last !  "  she  cried  triumphantly.  "  And 
he  has  told  you  after  threatening  me  with  all  sorts 
of  things  to  keep  me  silent." 

"  It's — it's  not  true !  "  gasped  Leo. 

"  It  is  perfectly  true,"  said  the  woman,  jeeringly. 


A  New  Complication  205 

"  You  are  the  son  of  the  cleverest  thief  in  the  three 
kingdoms." 

"Hold  your  tongue,  you  hag!  "  shouted  Pratt,  an- 
grily, for  Leo  was  as  white  as  ashes  and  his  face  wore 
an  expression  of  terrible  agony. 

"  I  won't  be  quiet.  You  told  him  yourself,  and  now 
he  shall  know  all — as  the  vicar  does,"  finished  Mrs 
Gabriel,  laughing  fiercely. 

Leo  started  to  his  feet.  "  Sybil !  "  he  cried  out, 
staring  at  his  enemy.  "  I  know  now  why  the  vicar 
will  not  let  me  marry  her.     You — you — " 

"  Told  him  you  were  an  illegitimate  son,"  said 
Mrs  Gabriel,  rapidly.  "  I  did  not  say  who  was  your 
father,  but  now  that  Pratt's  true  character  is  known 
I  shall  tell  Tempest  everything.  Then  we  shall  see 
if  he  will  let  you  speak  to  Sybil  again." 

"  You  dare  say  a  word,  Mrs  Gabriel,  and  I — " 

But  the  woman  was  not  to  be  stopped.  She  turned 
like  a  fury  on  Pratt,  who  had  risen  angrily.  "  Hold 
your  tongue,"  she  said  savagely ;  "  I  have  had  about 
enough  of  you  and  your  precious  son.  You  made  me 
take  him  to  my  home  and  tell  everyone  that  he  was 
the  son  of  my  dead  brother.  A  lie,  as  you  well  know. 
And  you,"  she  added,  turning  on  Haverleigh,  "  you 
know  now  why  I  have  hated  you  all  these  years.  That 
man  knows  a  secret  of  mine  and  he  forced  me  to  do 
his  bidding.  I  took  you  here.  I  brought  you  up,  I 
gave  you  money,  and  I  let  you  take  a  position  to  which 
you  were  not  entitled.  Position !  "  Mrs  Gabriel  laughed 
scornfully.     "  Your  position  should  be  in  the  gutter. 


2o6  The  Pagan's  Cup 

where  you  were  born.  You  are  no  kith  or  kin  of 
mine,  thank  God!  " 

"  And  I  do  thank  God,"  said  Leo,  vehemently. 
"  You  are  a  bad,  evil-minded  woman.  Although  my 
father  is  a  thief,  I  would  rather  be  his  son  than  con- 
nected with  you  in  any  way.  For  years  you  have 
made  my  life  a  hell  on  earth  with  your  vile  temper. 
Terrible  as  is  what  you  have  told  me,  I  prefer  the 
thief  to  the  righteous  woman." 

The  mistress  of  the  castle  recoiled  aghast  before 
this  outbreak  of  anger.  Never  had  the  usually  good- 
tempered  young  man  spoken  so  fiercely  to  her.  As 
he  advanced  towards  her  she  believed  that  he  was 
going  to  strike  her,  and  put  up  her  arm  with  a  look 
of  terror  in  her  eyes.     For  once  the  bully  was  cowed. 

"  Bravo,  my  boy !  "  cried  Pratt,  laughing  at  her 
discomfiture,  and  clapping  Leo  on  the  back.  The 
young  man  started  away. 

"  Don't  touch  me,"  he  said  harshly.  "Is  it  not 
enough  that  I  should  have  the  shame  of  being  your 
son,  but  that  you  should  approve  of  any  action  I  do? 
But  I  do  not  believe  that  you  are  my  father.  Where 
is  the  proof  ?  " 

"  In  London,"  said  Pratt,  very  quietly,  and  winc- 
ing at  the  tone  of  Leo's  speech.  "  If  you  come  with 
me  to  London  I  can  show  you  sufficient  proof  to  make 
you  believe." 

"My  mother?"  Leo,  with  a  sudden  thought,  cast 
a  look  at  Mrs  Gabriel. 

"  /    am    not    your    mother,"    she    said    scornfully. 


A  New  Complication  207 

"  Didn't  I  say  there  was  no  blood  of  mine  in  your 
veins  ?  " 

"  Your  mother  is  dead,  Leo,"  said  Pratt  in  a  low 
voice. 

Mrs  Gabriel  laughed  insultingly.  "  And  I  dare- 
say she  was  some — " 

"  If  you  dare  to  say  another  word,"  growled  Pratt, 
casting  a  bitter  look  at  her,  "  I'll  give  your  secret  to 
the  world." 

"  I  don't  care  if  you  do,"  retorted  Mrs  Gabriel;  but 
Leo  saw  that  she  quailed.  What  could  she  have  done 
to  give  a  man  like  Pratt — he  could  not  call  him  father 
— a  power  over  her? 

'■  You  do  care,"  said  Pratt,  quietly ;  "  but  if  you 
don't  I'll  begin  by  telling  Leo.  Here  goes.  Leo,  my 
son—" 

In  a  moment  Airs  Gabriel's  defiant  attitude  became 
one  of  supplication.  She  sprang  forward  and  caught 
Pratt  by  the  arm.  "  Don't !  don't,"  she  said  faintly. 
"  I'll   do  whatever   you   wish." 

"  Will  you  dare  to  speak  again  as  you  have 
done?" 

"  No,  no ;  I  know  you  are  the  stronger.  I  could 
kill  you,"  she  muttered,  with  a  flash  of  her  old  tem- 
per.    "  But  I  have  to  give  in — I  have  to !  " 

"  Well,"  drawled  Pratt,  taking  a  pleasure  in  bring- 
ing her  to  her  knees,  a  position  to  which  she  was  quite 
unaccustomed.  "  You  have  persecuted  my  poor  son 
so  that  I  think  he  should  have  something  to  hold  over 
your  head.     It  would  serve  you  right." 

"  I  don't  want  to  know  your  wicked  secrets,"  said 


2o8  The  Pagan's  Cup 

Leo,  very  pale,  but  otherwise  calm.  "  It  seems  to  me 
that  you  are  an  evil  couple.  And  I — Heaven  help 
me ! — have  a  father  who  is  a  thief." 

"  What  of  that !  "  said  Mrs  Gabriel,  getting  angry 
again.  "  You  are  a  thief  as  well,  are  you  not  ?  The 
cup — 

"  I  did  not  steal  it,"  said  Leo,  proudly.  "  You  know 
as  well  as  I  do  that  this — this" — he  winced — "father 
of  mine  took  it  away  from  the  chapel." 

"  That  is  just  where  you  are  wrong.  He  did 
not—" 

**  Mrs  Gabriel !  "  Pratt's  voice  sounded  dangerous. 
She  was  quiet  at  once,  and  looked  at  him  in  a  fright- 
ened way.  But  Leo  had  heard  enough  to  arouse  his 
suspicions.  He  turned  on  Pratt  and  seized  him  by  the 
arm. 

"Have  you  been  telling  a  lie?"  muttered  the  un- 
happy young  man. 

His  father  shook  him  off.  "  It's  no  use  telling  an- 
other one,"  he  said  in  a  dogged  way ;  "  now  you  know 
so  much  you  may  as  well  know  all.  I  know  noth- 
ing about  the  cup ;  but,  to  clear  you,  I  took  the  blame 
on  myself.  You  see,  Leo,"  he  said  calmly,  "  my 
character  is  already  so  bad  that  a  robbery  more  or  less 
does  not  matter.  I  did  it  for  you,  my  boy,  as  I  have 
done  everything  else.  I  wanted  you  to  be  a  gentle- 
man and  marry  the  girl  of  your  heart.  Sybil  loves 
you,  and  I  thought  when  the  vicar  knew  you  were 
innocent  that  he  would  let  you  marry  her." 

"  He  might  have  done  so,"  said  Leo,  sitting  down 
in  absolute  despair ;  "  but  since  Mrs  Gabriel  told  him 


A  New  Complication  209 

that  I  was  illegitimate,  he  has  never  been  the  same. 
He  is  a  proud  man." 

"  Too  proud  to  let  the  son  of  a  thief  marry  his 
child !  "  taunted  the  woman. 

"  He  doesn't  know  that  Leo  is  my  son,"  said  Pratt, 
fiercely. 

"  I  intend  to  tell  him  as  soon  as  you  are  away,"  she 
said. 

"  You  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort,"  said  Pratt  in  a 
slow,  venomous  way  which  made  her  shrink  back. 
"  By  speaking  to  the  vicar  and  telling  a  lie  you  have 
caused  trouble  enough.     He  must  know  no  more." 

"  I  did  not  tell  a  lie. 

"  You  did.     ]\Iy  son  was  born  in  lawful  wedlock." 

"  Then  why  didn't  you  bring  him  up  yourself?"  said 
]\Irs  Gabriel,  with  a  sneer.  "  You  gave  him  to  me  in 
London,  and  made  me  adopt  him.  I  had  to  say  that 
he  was  my  nephew.     Oh,  how  you  have  used  me !  " 

"  And  I  have  not  done  using  you.  Hold  your 
tongue,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you.  You  know  the 
power  I  have.  I  will  not  scruple  to  use  it  if  you  dare 
to  do  anything  against  my  orders.  Now,  you  can 
go.  I  want  to  speak  to  my  son  alone." 
.  Mrs  Gabriel  seemed  inclined  to  dispute  this  order, 
but  a  look  from  her  tyrant  cowed  her.  With  a  de- 
fiant flinging  up  of  the  head  she  walked  out  of  the 
room,  and  closed  the  door. 

"  She  will  tell  the  servants,"  said  Leo. 

"  Oh,  no,  she  won't,"  said  Pratt  coolly.  "  You  don't 
know  the  power  I  have  over  her.     She  will  not  dare." 

"  I  don't  want  to  know  anything,"  said  Leo,  look- 


210  The  Pagan's  Cup 

ing  down  on  the  ground,  with  folded  arms.  "  I  know 
quite  enough.    Are  you  speaking  truly?  " 

Pratt  met  his  gaze  in  a  perfectly  composed  man- 
ner. "  I  am  speaking  the  truth,"  he  said ;  "  you  are 
my  son,  and  your  mother  died  two  years  after  you 
were  born.  I  was  then  in  some  danger  from  a — 
Well,  no  matter.  To  make  a  long  story  short,  I 
wanted  to  procure  a  home  for  you  where  you  would 
be  brought  up  like  a  gentleman.  Having  a  certain 
power  over  Mrs  Gabriel,  I  fixed  upon  her,  and  made 
her  tell  the  story  of  your  being  her  nephew.  She  did 
all  I  wished,  but  had  I  known  how  she  treated  you," 
he  muttered,  clenching  his  fist,  "  I  should  soon  have 
brought  her  to  her  bearings." 

"  And  it  was  this  power  that  made  her  introduce 
you  into  Colester  society  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  can  do  what  I  like  with  the  woman.  I 
know  it  is  a  terrible  thing  for  you  to  find  out  what 
I  am.  But  I  took  to  bad  courses  early,  Leo,  and  I 
went  from  bad  to  worse.  It  is  a  second  nature  for 
me  to  steal — " 

"  Oh !  "  Leo  rose  with  a  sickening  sensation  of  dis- 
gust. "  Don't  tell  me  any  of  your  evil  doings.  I 
know  that  you  are  my  father;  that  you  are  a  thief;  I 
want  to  know  no  more.    You  have  ruined  my  life." 

"  I  have  not,"  said  Pratt.  "  How  can  you  say  such 
a  thing!  What  you  have  heard  to-night  need  go  no 
further.  I  shall  say  nothing,  and  Mrs  Gabriel  will 
be  forced  to  hold  her  tongue.  Your  name  is  cleared 
of  this  theft." 


A  New  Complication  211 

''Did  you  not  steal  the  cup?"  broke  in  Leo,  look- 
ing at  his  father. 

"No;  I  did  not.  If  I  had  stolen  it  I  should  say 
so.  But  I  do  not  know  who  took  it.  I  am  going  to 
London  to  find  out.  Old  Penny,  the  pawnbroker,  is 
a  friend  of  mine.  I  know  enough  to  get  him  into 
trouble  as  a  receiver  of  stolen  goods,  so  he  will  have 
to  tell  me  who  it  was  impersonated  you." 

"  You  said  in  your  letter  that  Adam — " 

Pratt  interrupted  impatiently.  "  Adam  had  noth- 
ing to  do  with  it,"  he  said.  "  I  invented  all  that  to 
throw  dust  in  Marton's  eyes.  I  suspect  that  Hale  has 
something  to  do  with  the  stealing  of  the  cup.  He  may 
have  taken  it  himself,  for  all  I  know.  But  Old  Penny 
will  tell  me.  I'll  get  to  the  bottom  of  this,  you  may 
be  sure.  As  to  you,  Leo,  hold  your  tongue  about  be- 
ing my  son  and  come  back  to  Mrs  Gabriel.  She  will 
be  quite  willing  to  receive  you,  and  I  can  force  her 
to  make  you  her  heir.  Then  you  can  marry  Sybil. 
When  you  are  rich  and  have  an  assured  position,  the 
vicar  will  overlook  the  stain  on  your  birth.  It  is  a 
lie,  certainly,"  added  Pratt,  with  a  shrug,  "  but  to  tell 
the  truth  would  be  to  make  matters  worse,  so  we  must 
leave  things  as  they  are.  For  once  Mrs  Gabriel  has 
got  the  better  of  me.  But  it  won't  occur  again.  You 
stay  with  her,  and  I  promise  you  she  will  be  as  polite 
as  possible  to  you.     You  will  be  master  here." 

Leo  listened  to  this  long  speech  with  his  aching 
head  between  his  hands.  When  Pratt  had  finished, 
he  looked  up  quietly.  "  It  is  good  of  you  to  take  all 
this  trouble,"  he  said,  "but  I  cannot  come  back  to 


212  The  Pagan's  Cup 

Mrs  Gabriel.  Even  if  she  loved,  instead  of  hating 
me,  I  could  not  come  back  on  those  terms.  I  can  never 
marry  Sybil  either.  Do  you  think  that  I  would  let 
her  become  my  wife,  knowing  who  I  am  ?  Your  sins 
must  be  visited  on  me,  Pratt — I  can't  call  you  father. 
You  say  you  are  my  father,  and  you  declare  that  you 
can  prove  it.  When  you  are  in  London  I  expect  you 
to  do  so.  Let  me  know  your  address,  and  I'll  come 
up.  But  for  the  moment  I  assume  that  you  are 
speaking  the  truth.  In  that  case  there  is  nothing  for 
me  to  do  but  to  go  to  South  Africa  and  seek  a  soldier's 
death.     I  would  rather  die  than  marry  Sybil  now." 

"  Don't  talk  like  that,  Leo,"  said  Pratt,  much  moved, 
and  wincing  at  the  contempt  of  the  young  man.  "  I 
am  not  so  bad  as  you  think.  I  have  done  many  a  kind 
action.     I  can — " 

"  Oh,  don't  defend  yourself,"  said  Leo,  rising  to  go. 
"  I  must  get  away  by  the  same  way  I  came.  I  shall 
say  nothing,  but  I  hope  you  will  be  out  of  Colester  by 
to-morrow  night.  Marton  leaves  in  the  morning,  so 
the  coast  will  be  clear.  I'm  going  now,  and  I  hope 
to  hear  from  you,  so  that  you  may  give  me  proof  of  the 
truth  of  this  story." 

"  You  don'^  believe  me  ?  " 

"  I  do — in  a  way.  It  seems  to  be  true.  You  say 
so,  and  Mrs  Gabriel  also.  I  suppose  I  am  your  son. 
But  I  am  hoping  against  hope  that  you  may  not  be 
able  to  prove  the  truth." 

"  Leo,"  said  Pratt,  following  him  to  the  window, 
"  I  am  your  father,  and  if  you  intend  to  leave  Sybil 
you  may  as  v/ell  come  with  me.     I  can  go  with  you 


A  New  Complication  213 

to  South  America,  and  there  I  can  lead  a  new  hfe. 
I  am  rich  in  spite  of  losing  The  Nun's  House.  I 
have  a  belt  of  jewels! — thousands  of  pounds  of  the 
most  valuable — " 

"  And  all  stolen,"  cried  Leo,  thrusting  him  back  in 
disgust.  "  For  God's  sake  don't  speak  to  me  any 
more,  or  I  shall  forget  that  you  are  my  father!  If 
you  only  knew  how  I  loathe  myself  for  being  your 
son !  I  never  thought  it  would  come  to  this.  Let  me 
go — let  me  go!"  and  Leo,  pulling  his  arm  from  the 
grasp  of  Pratt,  rushed  out  on  to  the  terrace. 

In  another  ten  minutes  Mrs  Gabriel  re-entered.  She 
found  Pratt  with  his  head  buried  in  his  arms,  sobbing 
like  a  child.  At  the  sight  she  burst  out  laughing. 
Then  she  locked  the  window  Leo  had  left  open. 

"  Get  to  bed,  Pratt,"  she  said,  contemptuously,  "  and 
pleasant  dreams  to  you !  " 


CHAPTER      XVI 

sybil's     visitor 

Leo  had  never  felt  so  wretched  in  his  life  as  he  did 
the  next  day.  Seeing  that  he  was  greatly  disturbed, 
Marton  wished  to  learn  the  reason.  As  Haverleigh 
had  promised  to  keep  secret  the  presence  of  his  father 
at  the  castle,  he  was  obliged  to  evade  a  direct  answer. 

"  I  saw  Mrs  Gabriel,"  he  said  quietly.  "  We  had  a 
long  conversation,  and  she  told  me  what  she  had  said 
to  the  vicar." 

"Is  it  a  serious  matter?"  asked  the  detective. 

"  Serious  enough  to  prevent  my  marriage,"  replied 
Leo ;  "  but  what  it  is  I  do  not  feel  called  upon  to 
explain.  It  concerns  myself  and  no  one  else.  If  you 
could  help  me,  Marton,  I  should  tell  you,  but  you  can- 
not— no  one  can.  I  don't  think  there  is  any  more  to 
be  said." 

Seeing  the  young  man  thus  determined,  Marton 
said  no  more,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  force  Leo's  con- 
fidence. The  next  morning  he  took  his  departure,  as- 
suring Haverleigh  that  he  was  always  at  his  disposal 
when  wanted.  "  Depend  upon  it,"  he  said,  as  he  took 
leave,  "  you  are  not  yet  done  with  Mrs  Gabriel.  She 
will  get  you  into  more  trouble.  When  she  does,  write 
to  that  address." 


Sybil's  Visitor  215 

"  Thank  you,  Marton;  should  I  require  your  assist- 
ance 1  will  write." 

The  two  men  parted,  Alarton  to  London,  and  Leo 
back  to  the  inn.  He  was  very  miserable,  the  more 
so  as  he  had  to  avoid  the  society  of  Sybil.  Knowing 
what  he  did,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  talk  of  love 
to  her.  He  felt  that  he  had  no  right  to  do  so — that 
he  was  gaining  her  affections  wrongly.  Sooner  or 
later  he  would  have  to  leave  her,  but  he  did  not  wish 
to  break  away  abruptly.  Little  by  little  he  hoped  to 
withdraw  himself  from  her  presence,  and  thus  the 
final  separation  would  be  more  easy.  All  the  next 
day  he  wandered  alone  on  the  moor,  where  there  was 
no  chance  of  meeting  with  Sybil.  The  morning  after- 
wards he  received  a  note  from  Mrs  Gabriel  stating  that 
a  certain  person  had  taken  his  departure.  Leo  was 
then  in  a  fever  of  anxiety  lest  the  person  should  be 
captured. 

However,  he  learned  within  twenty-four  hours  that 
there  was  no  need  to  worry.  An  unsigned  telegram 
came  from  London,  intimating  that  the  sender  was  in 
safety,  and  would  communicate  with  him  when  the 
time  was  ripe.  Leo  took  this  to  mean  that  Pratt  could 
not  easily  get  at  the  papers  verifying  his  story,  owing 
to  the  vigilance  exercised  by  the  police,  who  were  on 
the  look-out  for  him.  Leo  therefore  possessed  his 
soul  in  patience  until  such  time  as  all  should  be  made 
clear. 

Meantime,  as  he  told  Pratt,  he  was  hoping  against 
hope  that  the  story  was  not  true.  Certainly  Pratt  had 
spoken  in  what  appeared  to  be  a  most  truthful  way,  he 


2i6  The  Pagan's  Cup 

had  exhibited  an  emotion  he  would  scarcely  have  given 
way  to  had  he  been  telling  a  falsehood.  But  Haver- 
leigh  knew  what  an  actor  the  man  was,  and,  until 
proof  was  forthcoming,  still  cherished  a  hope  that  a 
comedy  had  been  acted  for  some  reason  best  known 
to  Pratt  himself.  That  is,  it  was  a  comedy  to  Pratt; 
but  to  Leo  Haverleigh  it  approached  perilously  near 
to  tragedy.  Afterwards,  looking  back  on  the  agony 
of  those  few  days,  he  wondered  that  he  had  not  killed 
himself  in  sheer  despair. 

But  he  could  not  remain  in  the  same  place  with  Sybil 
without  feeling  an  overwhelming  desire  to  tell  her  the 
whole  story,  and  thus  put  an  end  to  an  impossible  sit- 
uation. Once  she  knew  the  truth,  that  he  was  the  son 
of  a  criminal,  she  would  see  that  a  marriage  was  out 
of  the  question.  Leo  was  quite  certain  that  she  would 
still  love  him,  and,  after  all,  he  was  not  responsible 
for  the  sins  of  his  father.  But  for  the  sake  of  Mr 
Tempest,  she  could  not  marry  him,  nor — as  he  assured 
himself — would  he  ask  her  to  do  so.  Two  or  three 
times  he  was  on  the  point  of  seeking  her  out  and  re- 
vealing all ;  but  a  feeling  of  the  grief  he  would  cause 
her  made  him  change  his  determination.  He  resolved 
finally  to  leave  her  in  a  fool's  paradise  until  he  had 
proof  from  Pratt  of  the  supposed  paternity.  But  to 
be  near  her  and  not  speak  to  her  was  unbearable.  So 
he  sent  a  note  saying  he  was  called  away  for  a  few 
days  on  business,  and  went  to  Portfront.  Here  he 
remained  waiting  to  hear  from  Pratt.  And  no  man 
could  have  been  more  miserable,  a  mood  scarcely  to 
be  wondered  at  considering  the  provocation. 


Sybil's  Visitor  217 

Meantime,  Colester  society  had  been  much  exer- 
cised over  the  discovery  of  Leo's  innocence  and  the 
supposed  delinquency  of  Pratt.  Certainly,  as  Haver- 
leigh  and  Mrs  Gabriel  knew,  Pratt  had  generously 
taken  on  his  own  shoulders  the  blame  which  had 
wrongfully  rested  on  those  of  the  young  man.  But 
no  one  else  knew  this,  and  even  if  Pratt  had  come  for- 
ward and  told  the  truth,  no  one  would  have  believed 
him.  He  had  been  so  clearly  proved  to  be  a  thief, 
and  the  scandal  concerning  the  stolen  goods  in  The 
Nun's  House  was  so  great,  that  there  was  no  ill  deed 
with  w^hich  the  villagers  and  gentry  of  Colester  were 
not  prepared  to  credit  him.  Mrs  Bathurst  was  par- 
ticularly virulent  in  her  denunciations  of  the  rascal. 

"  But  I  always  knew  that  he  was  a  bad  lot,"  said 
Mrs  Bathurst.  "  Did  I  not  say  it  was  incredible  that 
a  wealthy  man  should  come  down  to  pass  his  days  in 
a  dull  place  like  Colester?  How  lucky  it  is  that  we 
found  out  his  wickedness,  thanks  to  that  dear  Mr 
Marton,  who  is,  I  am  sure,  a  perfect  gentleman,  in 
spite  of  his  being  a  police  officer.  I  shall  always  look 
upon  him  as  having  saved  Peggy.  The  creature,"  so 
she  always  called  her  former  favourite,  "  wanted  to 
marry  Peggy.  I  saw  it  in  his  eye.  Perhaps  I  might 
have  yielded,  and  then  what  would  have  happened? 
I  should  have  had  a  Jack  the  Ripper  in  the  family !  " 

"  Oh !  scarcely  as  bad  as  that,  Mrs  Bathurst,"  said 
Raston,  to  whom  she  was  speaking.  "  Pratt  was 
never  a  murderer." 

"  How  do  you  know  that,  Mr  Raston  ?  For  my 
part,  I  believe  he  was  capable  of  the  most  terrible 


21 8  The  Pagan's  Cup 

crimes.  If  lie  had  married  Peggy !  The  very  idea 
makes  me  shudder.  But  the  dear  child  has  escaped 
the  snares  of  evil,  and  I  hope  to  see  her  shortly  the 
wife  of  a  good  man,"  here  Mrs  Bathurst  cast  a  look 
on  her  companion. 

Raston  smiled.  He  knew  perfectly  well  what  she 
meant.  Failing  the  wealthy  Pratt,  who  had  been 
proved  a  scoundrel,  the  humble  curate  had  a  chance 
of  becoming  Mrs  Bathurst's  son-in-law.  And  Raston 
was  not  unwilling.  He  loved  Peggy  and  she  loved 
him.  They  understood  one  another,  and  had  done 
so  for  some  time.  Never  would  Peggy  have  married 
Pratt  had  he  asked  her  a  dozen  times.  But,  as  she 
had  told  Raston,  the  man  had  never  intended  to  pro- 
pose. Knowing  this,  Raston  was  glad  to  see  that 
Mrs  Bathurst  was  not  disinclined  to  accept  him  as  a 
suitor  for  her  daughter.  He  then  and  there  struck 
the  iron  while  it  was  hot. 

"  I  do  not  know  if  I  am  a  very  good  man,  Mrs 
Bathurst,"  he  said,  still  smiling,  "  but  if  you  think  me 
good  enough  for  Peggy,  I  shall  be  more  than  satis- 
fied. I  have  the  curacy  and  three  hundred  a  year.  My 
family  you  know  all  about,  and  I  suppose  you  have 
formed  your  own  conclusions  as  to  the  merits  of  my 
personality.  I  am  not  likely  to  turn  out  a  criminal 
like  Pratt,  you  know." 

"  Really,  Mr  Raston,  you  take  my  breath  away," 
said  Mrs  Bathurst,  quite  equal  to  the  occasion.  "  I 
never  suspected  that  you  loved  Peggy.  Still,  if  such 
is  the  case,  and  she  loves  you,  and  you  are  prepared  to 
insure  your  life  in  case  you  die  unexpectedly,  I  do 


Sybil's  Visitor  219 

not  mind  your  marrying  her.  She  is  a  dear  girl  and 
will  make  you  an  excellent  wife." 

"  Thank  you,  Airs  Bathurst.  Then  I  may  see 
Peggy  now." 

"  She  is  in  the  garden,  Harold."  Airs  Bathurst 
had  long  since  informed  herself  of  the  curate's  Chris- 
tian name,  so  as  to  be  prepared  for  an  emergency  of 
this  sort.  "Go  to  her  and  take  with  you  a  mother's 
blessing." 

Thus  burdened,  Raston  sought  out  Peggy,  and  then 
and  there  told  her  that  all  was  well.  They  could  love 
one  another  without  let  or  hindrance.  The  engage- 
ment had  been  sanctioned  officially  by  Airs  Bathurst. 
Pegg}'  laughed  consumedly  when  Raston  related  the 
pretty  little  comedy  played  by  her  mother.  "  She  must 
think  you  a  donkey,  Harold,"  she  said.  "Mother 
thinks  everyone  is  as  blind  as  herself." 

"  Airs  Bathurst  fancies  herself  very  wide  awake, 
my  dear." 

"Those  who  are  particularlv  blind  always  do 
Harold." 

Then  they  began  to  talk  of  their  future,  of  the 
probability  of  Sybil  becoming  the  wife  of  Leo,  and 
the  chances  of  Airs  Gabriel  taking  the  young'  man 
again  to  her  castle.  From  one  subject  to  another  they 
passed  on  until  Pegg>'  made  an  observation  about 
Peail.  "  She  is  out  and  about,  I  see,"  said  Peggy, 
"but  she  still  looks  thin." 

"And  no  wonder.  Her  illness  has  been  a  severe 
one.  But  she  will  soon  put  on  flesh  and  regain  her 
colour.     She  is  always  wandering  on  the  moor,  and 


2  20  The  Pagan's  Cup 

the  winds  there  will  do  more  to  restore  her  to  health 
than  all  the  drugs  in  the  pharmacopoeia  of  James." 

"Why  does  she  go  on  the  moor?"  said  Peggy. 
"  I  thought  it  was  the  chapel  she  was  found  of  sitting 
in." 

"  Ah !  She  has  changed  all  that,"  said  Raston,  sadly. 
"  It  seems — I  think  I  told  you  this  before — that  Mrs 
Jeal  told  her  some  horrible  Calvinistic  doctrine,  and 
poor  Pearl  thinks  she  is  lost  eternally.  It  was  her 
idea  that  the  cup  was  given  into  her  charge,  and  now 
she  believes  that  the  Master  has  taken  it  from  her 
because  she  is  not  good  enough  to  be  the  custodian." 

"  Poor  girl !  "  said  Peggy,  sympathetically.  "  But 
I  thought,  Harold,  that  she  believed  the  cup  had  been 
taken  up  to  Heaven  for  the  Supper  of  the  Master  ?  " 

'  She  did  believe  that  till  Mrs  Jeal  upset  her  mind 
anew.  Now  she  thinks  she  is  lost,  and  I  can't  get  the 
terrible  idea  out  of  her  head.  She  is  like  a  lost  thing 
wandering  about  the  moor.  Only  one  cure  is  pos- 
sible." 

"What  is  that,  Harold?" 

"  The  cup  must  be  restored  to  the  altar  she  has 
built." 

"  An  altar !  Has  she  built  one  ?  " 

"  I  followed  her  on  to  the  moor  the  other  day,  wish- 
ing to  calm  her  mind.  Some  distance  away,  in  the 
centre  of  the  heather,  she  has  erected  an  altar  of  turf, 
and  she  told  me  that  if  the  Master  forgave  her  He 
would  replace  the  cup  which  He  had  taken  from  her 
on  that  altar.     She  goes  there  every  day  to  see  if  the 


Sybil's  Visitor  221 

cup  has  returned.  If  it  did,  I  believe  she  would  again 
be  her  old  happy  self.'' 

"  But  there  is  no  chance  of  the  cup  being  returned." 

"  No,"  said  Raston,  a  trifle  grimly ;  "  Pratt  has  got 
it  again  in  his  possession,  and  he  will  not  let  it  go. 
Save  for  Pearl,  I  do  not  think  it  matters  much.  We 
could  never  again  use  it  for  the  service  of  the  chapel. 
A  cup  that  has  been  stolen  cannot  be  put  to  sacred 
uses." 

"  Do  you  think  it  was  stolen  ?  " 

"  I  am  certain  of  it.  Everything  belonging  to  that 
man  was  stolen.  What  a  pity,  Peggy-,  that  such  a 
clever  fellow  should  use  his  talents  for  such  a  bad 
purpose." 

"  A  great  pity.  I  liked  ]\Ir  Pratt,  and  even  now, 
although  he  is  such  a  wretch,  I  can't  help  feeling  sorry 
for  him." 

"  So  do  I,  Peggy.  There  was  good  in  Pratt.  Let 
us  hope  he  will  repent.  But  now,  darling,  don't  let 
us  talk  more  of  him.  He  has  gone,  and  will  never 
come  back.     What  about  the  wedding-day  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Harold !  "  began  Peggy%  and  blushed.  After 
this  the  conversation  became  too  personal  to  be  re- 
ported. It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  wedding-day 
was  fixed  for  two  months  later. 

While  all  these  discoveries  in  connections  with  Pratt 
were  being  made  in  Colester,  events  which  had  to  do 
with  Sybil's  advertisement  had  happened  which  pre- 
vented her  keeping  it  any  longer  a  secret  from  her 
father.  She  put  off  telling  him  till  the  verv  last  mo- 
ment, but  when  one  day  a  London  visitor  arrived  she 


222  The  Pagan's  Cup 

was  forced  to  speak  out.  A  card  inscribed  with  the 
name  "  Lord  Kilspindie"  was  brought  to  her,  and  on 
the  back  of  it  was  a  pencilled  note  hinting  that  the 
gentleman  had  called  about  the  advertisement.  Sybil 
ordered  that  he  should  be  shown  into  the  drawing- 
room,  and  went  to  her  father's  study.  The  vicar  was 
preparing  his  sermon,  and  looked  up  ill-pleased  at 
the  interruption. 

"  What  is  it,  Sybil?  "  he  asked.     "  I  am  busy." 

"  Please  forgive  me  for  interrupting  you,  father," 
she  replied,  coming  to  the  desk  and  putting  her  arm 
round  his  neck,  "  but  I  have  something  to  tell  you, 
something  to  confess." 

"  You  have  been  doing  nothing  wrong,  I  hope," 
said  Tempest,  suspiciously. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  wrong,  save  in  one  particular. 
That  advertisement!  It  was  I  who  put  it  into  the 
papers." 

"  Sybil !  And  you  never  told  me !  "  The  vicar 
was  annoyed.  At  the  same  time  he  felt  relieved  that 
it  was  nothing  worse.  He  fancied  that  she  might 
be  about  to  confess  that  she  had  married  Leo. 

"  It  was  no  use  telling  you  until  something  came  of 
it,  father,"  replied  Sybil,  calmly,  "  so  do  not  be  an- 
gry. Now  that  the  whole  mystery  has  been  cleared 
up,  the  advertisement  is  useless.  But  I  received  one 
answer  to  it.  A  gentleman  called  Lord  Kilspindie 
wrote  to  me  at  the  post-office  as  *  S.  T.,'  asking  to  see 
me  about  the  cup.  He  had  something  serious  to  say 
about  it.  I  was  curious — I  think  you  would  have 
been  curious  yourself,  father — so  I  wrote,  and,  giving 


Sybil's  Visitor  223 

my  real  name  and  address,  asked  him  to  come  down 
here.     He  is  now  in  the  drawing-room." 

Tempest  rose  to  his  feet,  looking  vexed.  "  Lord 
Kilspindie  in  the  drawing-room,  and  I  only  know  of 
the  matter  now.  Really,  Sybil,  you  have  behaved  very 
badly.    What  does  he  want?  " 

"'  To  tell  us  something  about  the  cup,  I  suppose," 
said  Sybil.     "  Do  you  know  Lord  Kilspindie,  father?  " 

"  No  more  than  that  he  is  a  border  lord  and  a 
wealthy  man.  I  believe  he  has  a  splendid  and  fa- 
mous castle  near  the  Tweed.  Sybil,  you  should  have 
told  me." 

'■  I  am  sorry,  but  I  didn't  think  it  was  worth  while 
until  he  came.  You  are  not  angry,  father.  I  have 
done  nothing  so  very  bad,  and  it  was  my  eagerness 
about  Leo  that  made  me  take  up  the  matter." 

"  You  offered  a  reward  of  fifty  pounds !  How  is 
that  to  be  paid  ?  " 

Sybil  laughed.  I  don't  think  there  will  be  any 
question  of  reward  with  Lord  Kilspindie,"  she  said. 
"  Besides,  he  has  not  brought  the  cup.  You  know  that 
Mr  Pratt  has  it,  and  is  likely  to  keep  it.  Come,  father, 
forgive  me,  and  let  us  see  Lord  Kilspindie.  I  am 
filled  with  curiosity." 

'■  You  are  a  wicked  girl,"  said  the  vicar,  indulgently, 
and  gave  her  a  kiss.     "  If  you  do  this  again — " 

"  I  never  will,  father — unless  Leo  is  again  in 
danger." 

The  vicar  sighed.  His  conscience  pricked  him 
about  Leo,  and  he  did  not  know  how  to  act  towards 
making  amendment.     Certainly  if  he  gave  his  con- 


2  24  The  Pagan's  Cup 

sent  to  the  marriage  Leo  would  be  more  than  repaid 
for  the  ill  thoughts  entertained  about  him.  But  Tem- 
pest was  filled  with  pride  of  race,  and  could  not  bring 
himself  to  give  his  beautiful  daughter  to  a  nameless 
man.  However,  he  could  not  consider  the  matter  now, 
since  his  illustrious  visitor  was  waiting  in  the  draw- 
ing room,  so  with  Sybil  he  went  to  greet  him. 

"Miss  Tempest?"  said  Lord  Kilspindie,  coming 
forward,  with  a  look  of  admiration  at  the  beautiful 
girl  before  him,  "  and  you,  sir  ?  " 

Sybil  allowed  her  father  to  speak,  as  was  right 
and  proper.  "  I  am  the  vicar  of  this  place.  Lord  Kil- 
spindie," said  Tempest,  politely,  "  and  this  is  my 
daughter.  It  was  she  who  put  the  advertisement  in 
the  paper.  I  presume  that  it  is  to  that  we  owe  the 
pleasure  of  your  company." 

"  That  and  nothing  else,"  said  Lord  Kilspindie,  tak- 
ing the  seat  pointed  out  to  him  by  the  vicar,  "  I  have 
been  looking  for  that  cup  for  over  twenty  years.  It 
is  not  in  your  possession  ?  " 

"  It  was  for  a  few  weeks,"  replied  the  vicar,  who 
was  very  curious.  "  I  had  better  tell  you  the  whole 
story,  and  then  you  can  judge  for  yourself." 

"  If  you  will  be  so  kind,"  replied  Lord  Kilspindie, 
courteously. 

He  listened  attentively  while  Mr  Tempest  nar- 
rated all  the  events  in  connection  with  the  cup  from 
the  time  Pratt  had  arrived  in  Colester.  The  story  was 
a  strange  one,  and  the  visitor  was  much  interested. 
However,  he  did  not  offer  one  interruption.  Sybil 
watched  him  the  meanwhile. 


Sybil's  Visitor  225 

He  was  a  tall,  grey-haired  man  of  over  sixty,  but  still 
vigourous  and  straight.  His  face  was  lined,  however, 
as  though  he  had  undergone  much  trouble.  He  had 
a  soldierly  look  about  him,  and  all  the  time  the  vicar 
was  speaking  tugged  at  a  long  grey  moustache,  the 
only  hair  he  wore  on  his  face.  Sybil  thought  of  the 
line  in  the  "  Ancient  ]\Iariner  "  about  long  and  lean 
and  brown  as  the  seashore  sand  (she  could  not  quite 
recall  the  quotation),  but  to  her  it  described  Kilspindie 
perfectly.  He  was  rather  sad-looking,  and  his  quiet 
grey  eyes  looked  as  though  he  had  known  bitter 
trouble.  And  indeed  he  had.  Sybil  learned  that 
later. 

"  A  very  interesting  story,"  he  said  politely  when 
Air  Tempest  had  finished,  "'  but  disappointing  in  its 
ending.  You  say  this  man  Pratt  has  now  the  cup  in 
his  possession  ?  " 

"  He  confessed  as  much,  my  lord,  in  a  letter  to  the 
detective  in  charge  of  the  case.  It  is  a  pity  he  has 
escaped  with  it." 

''  A  great  pity,"  responded  the  other.  "  I  suppose 
there  is  no  chance  of  his  being  captured  ?  " 

'*  From  what  Mr  Marton  said  I  should  think  not," 
put  in  Sybil.  "  He  says  that  Pratt  has  baffled  all  the 
cleverest  detectives  in  England  for  a  great  number  of 
years." 

Kilspindie  sighed.  "  Xo  chance  of  getting  it 
back,"  he  murmured ;  "  and  the  luck  will  still  be 
bad." 

"  The  luck !  "  echoed  Sybil,  catching  the  word. 

"  You  will  think  me  superstitious,"  he  said,  \Nith 


2  26  The  Pagan's  Cup 

a  smile ;  ''  but  the  fact  is  that  the  cup  is  said  to  be 
a  fairy  gift,  and  has  been  in  our  family  for  genera- 
tions.    The  luck  of  the  family  goes  with  the  cup." 

"  Like  the  luck  of  Edenhall !  "  said  Sybil,  remem- 
bering Longfellow's  poem. 

"  Precisely,"  responded  Kilspindie.  "  The  legend 
is  a  curious  one.  I  must  tell  it  to  you  some  time.  Of 
course  my  opinion  is  that  the  cup  is  of  Roman  manu- 
facture. I  recognised  it  from  its  description,  and  es- 
pecially from  the  Latin  motuo  you  set  down  in  the 
advertisement.  I  think  that  goblet  was  dedicated  to 
Bacchus,  and  was  probably  lost  by  some  Roman  gen- 
eral when  Scotland  was  invaded  by  the  Csesars." 

All  this  time  Mr  Tempest  was  trying  to  recover 
from  the  horror  of  his  thoughts.  "A  pagan  cup!" 
he  gasped,  "  and  a  stolen  cup !  Oh,  my  lord,  and  it 
was  used  as  a  communion  cup.  Pratt  said  that  he 
had  brought  it  from  Italy,  where  it  was  so  used  by  the 
Romish  Church.  I  thought  it  was  sanctified  by  such 
a  use,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  put  it  again  on  the  al- 
tar. I  really  don't  know  what  to  say.  It  is  like 
sacrilege." 

"  I  am  sorry,  Mr  Tempest.  But  the  cup  has  been 
at  Kilspindie  Castle  for  five  hundred  years.  It  never 
was  used  in  the  service  of  the  Church.  Over  twenty 
years  ago  it  was  stolen  by  a  woman." 

"  By  a  woman,"  echoed  Sybil.  She  had  quite  ex- 
pected to  hear  Pratt's  name. 


CHAPTER      XVII 

LORD       KILSPINDIE      EXPLAINS 

"Before  you  begin  your  story,  my  lord,"  said  the 
vicar,  "  will  you  please  inform  me  how  you  came  to 
know  of  the  loss  of  the  cup  ?  " 

'*  I  have  already  done  so,  ^Ir  Tempest.  I  saw  the 
advertisement  offering  a  reward  for  its  recovery.  The 
description  and  the  quotation  of  the  Latin  motto  were 
sufficient  to  show  me  that  it  was  my  heirloom.  I 
wrote  to  the  office  of  the  paper,  and  afterwards  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  Miss  Tempest,  here,  asking  me  to 
call.  I  have  taken  up  my  abode  at  the  inn,  as  I  may 
stay  here  for  a  few  days.  I  want  to  know  all  I  can 
about  the  matter.  If  I  can  only  trace  and  recover  the 
cup  through  your  agency  I  shall  be  eternally  your 
debtor." 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  more  than  I  have  related,"  re- 
plied the  vicar.  "  This  man  Pratt  took  back  the  cup, 
and  is  now  in  London — where,  no  one  knows.  I  fear 
the  cup  is  as  lost  as  though  it  had  been  swallowed  up 
by  the  ocean !  " 

"  It  is  enough  that  I  know  in  whose  possession  it 
is."  said  Kilspindie,  with  determination.  "  In  some 
way  or  another  I  shall  find  this  man.  For  I  may  tell 
you,  IMr  Tempest,  that,  besides  the  recoverv  of  a  fam- 


228  The  Pagan's  Cup 

ily  treasure,  I  have  another  and  more  important  ob- 
ject in  view — the  recovery  of  my  son,  who  was  stolen 
from  me  at  the  time  the  cup  chsappeared." 

Tempest  expressed  much  astonishment  at  this  in- 
formation, and  Sybil  opened  her  eyes  wide.  She  had 
never  thought  that  her  attempt  to  clear  the  character 
of  her  lover  would  lead  to  such  a  result.  Neither 
she  nor  her  father  knew  what  to  say,  and,  seeing  them 
silent,  Lord  Kilspindie  continued  to  speak. 

"  How  the  cup  came  into  the  possession  of  this  man 
I  cannot  say.  It  was  taken  from  the  castle  by  a  nurse 
called  Janet  Grant,  who  also  carried  away  the  child." 

"  Why  did  she  do  that  ?  "  asked  Sybil,  horrified. 

"  Out  of  revenge  for  a  fancied  slight  she  received 
from  my  wife,"  replied  Kilspindie,  with  a  sigh ;  "  but 
it  is  best  I  should  tell  you  all  from  the  beginning. 
First,  you  must  know  the  legend  of  the  cup,  that  you 
may  understand  the  value  we  Grants  attach  to  its 
possession." 

"  I  am  fond  of  folk-lore,"  murmured  the  vicar,  set- 
tling himself  down  for  a  pleasant  half-hour.  "  Your 
family  name  is  Grant,  then,  my  lord  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Our  title  is  Kilspindie,  an  earldom.  My 
son  who  was  stolen — my  only  son  and  only  child, 
alas! — is  Lord  Morven,  if  he  be  still  alive.  But  who 
knows  if  I  shall  ever  see  him  again?" 

"  Hope  for  the  best,"  said  the  vicar,  gently.  "  God 
is  over  all !  " 

"  You  are  right,  Mr  Tempest.  But  how  manv  weary 
years  have  I  waited,  and  have  had  to  comfort  myself 
in  that  fashion.     Now,  when  I  had  lost  all  hope,  the 


Lord  Kilspindie  Explains         229 

advertisement  roused  it  again.  If  I  find  the  cup  I 
may  discover  my  boy,  or,  at  all  events,  I  may  find  out 
if  he  is  alive  or  dead." 

"  I  am  sure  he  is  alive,"  said  Sybil,  impulsively. 
"  Dear  Lord  Kilspindie,  if  there  was  no  chance  of 
your  finding  him  I  should  not  have  been  guided  to 
put  in  that  advertisement.  It  was  entirely  my  own 
doing,  and  had  I  consulted  with  my  father  it  would 
never  have  appeared." 

"  It  certainly  would  not,"  said  the  vicar,  promptly. 
"  I  had  placed  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  Mr  Mar- 
ton,  and  I  was  angry  when  I  saw  the  advertisement — 
very  angry,  indeed." 

"  You  must  not  be  angry  any  more,  Mr  Tempest," 
said  Kilspindie,  with  a  smile,  "  seeing  that  it  may  lead 
to  the  discovery  of  my  son.  I  owe  much  to  Miss  Tem- 
pest's indiscretion,  as  you  no  doubt  call  it." 

"  No,"  said  Sybil,  resolutely ;  "  I  am  sure  papa  does 
not  call  it  that.  I  did  it  to  help  Leo,  and  I  would  do 
it  again.     But  tell  us  the  legend,  Lord  Kilspindie." 

The  old  man  laughed.  "  If  you  have  not  the  im- 
agination of  the  Celt  you  will  think  it  but  a  poor 
thing,"  he  said.  "  In  the  days  of  Bruce,  and  on  the 
Border,  Nigel  Grant,  the  head  of  the  clan — my  an- 
cestor, Mr  Tempest — was  riding  home  from  a  foray 
against  the  English.  He  had  been  successful,  and  had 
collected  a  large  mob  of  cattle,  which  were  being 
driven  to  the  castle  by  his  followers.  He  was  anxious 
to  get  home,  for  when  he  had  left,  two  weeks  pre- 
viously, his  wife  was  expected  to  give  birth  to  a 
child.     The  chief  eagerly  desired  that  it  might  be  a 


230  The  Pagan's  Cup 

boy,  for  he  had  few  relatives,  and  those  he  had  were 
his  bitterest  enemies," 

"What!"  said  Tempest,  "and  the  Scotch  so 
clannish  ?  " 

"  They  are  more  clannish  in  the  Highlands  than 
on  the  Border,"  replied  the  old  lord.  "  Many  of  the 
Border  families  fought  with  one  another.  My  clan 
did  also  for  many  a  long  day,  although  they  are 
friendly  enough  now.  However,  you  know  the  rea- 
son that  Nigel  Grant  was  so  eager  for  an  heir." 

"  Wouldn't  a  girl  have  done  ? "  asked  Sybil  mis- 
chievously. 

"  By  no  means.  The  chief  wanted  a  brave  boy,  to 
bestride  a  horse  and  wield  a  sword,  and  govern  the 
unruly  Grant  clan  with  a  strong  hand.  He  had 
prayed  to  the  Virgin  to  give  him  his  heart's  desire — 
they  were  all  Roman  Catholics  in  those  days,  remem- 
ber. So  you  may  guess  he  rode  home  at  top  speed, 
and  as  he  neared  the  castle  he  was  far  in  advance  of 
his  followers  and  alone.    And  then  came  the  fairies." 

"  The  fairies !  "  echoed  Sybil.  "  This  is  interest- 
ing," and  she  laughed. 

"  W^e  call  them  the  Good  Neighbours  in  Scotland, 
you  know,  because  the  fairies  don't  like  to  be  talked 
about  with  disrespect.  But  to  go  on  with  my  story. 
Nigel  Grant  was  on  a  wide  moor  all  alone,  although 
the  lances  of  his  men-at-arms  glittered  on  the  verge 
of  the  horizon.  Suddenly — from  the  viewless  air,  ap- 
parently, since  there  was  no  rock  or  tree  or  shelter  of 
any  kind — there  appeared  a  small  woman  dressed  in 
green,  with  a  golden  crown.     At  the  sight  of  her  the 


Lord  Kilspindie  Explains         231 

chief's  horse  stopped  all  at  once,  as  though  stricken 
into  stone.  The  fairy  queen — for  it  was  she,  the 
same,  I  suppose,  who  appeared  to  Thomas  the 
Rhymer." 

"  Ah !  sJic  was  mounted  on  a  horse !  "  said  Sybil, 
half  to  herself. 

"  Indeed  ?  Well,  this  queen  Avas  on  foot,  and  m 
her  arms  she  carried  a  child.  Stopping  before  Nigel, 
she  placed  the  child  on  his  saddle-bow,  and  told  him 
to  take  it  home  for  a  year  and  a  day.  '  If  it  returns 
to  us  safe  and  sound,'  she  continued,  '  great  good  for- 
tune will  befall  the  Grants.  But  if  anything  wrong  is 
done  to  it,  then  will  sorrow  come.'  So  speaking  she 
vanished,  and  the  horse,  suddenly  regaining  motion, 
galloped  home  to  the  castle,  bearing  the  amazed  chief 
with  his  child  in  his  arms." 

"  His  child,  my  lord  ?  "  asked  the  vicar,  smiling. 

"  It  had  to  be  his  child  for  a  year  and  a  day.  He 
found  that  during  his  absence  his  wife  had  given  birth 
to  a  fine  boy,  but  that  a  day  or  so  after  it  was  born 
the  cradle  was  found  empty.  Lady  Grant  was  in  a 
great  state  of  terror,  as  you  may  imagine.  When  the 
chief  told  his  story  she  declared  that  her  child  had 
been  carried  ofif  by  the  Good  Neighbours.  It  was  her 
wish  to  kill  the  changeling.  But  this  the  chief,  mind- 
ful of  the  prophecy,  would  not  permit.  It  was  sup- 
posed that  the  fairy  child  required  to  be  nursed  by  a 
mortal  woman,  and  this  was  why  the  chief's  boy  had 
been  carried  away." 

"  I  never  heard  that  version  of  the  old  story  before," 
said  Tempest. 


232  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  No  ?  It  is  usually  said  that  the  fairies  want  the 
child  for  themselves.  But  in  this  story  what  I  have 
told  you  was  believed.  Lady  Grant,  hoping  to  get 
back  her  own  child  in  a  year  and  a  day,  nursed  the 
changeling.  It  was  a  peevish,  cross,  whimpering  crea- 
ture, and  marvellously  ugly.  But  when  she  fed  it 
with  her  milk  it  grew  fat  and  strong,  and  became 
good-tempered. 

"  On  the  night  when  the  year  and  a  day  were  up,  there 
was  heard  the  sound  of  galloping  horses  round  the 
castle.  A  wind  swept  into  the  rooms  and  down  the 
corridors.  Everyone  in  the  castle  fell  into  a  magic 
sleep.  But  in  the  morning  the  true  child  was  found 
smiling  in  his  cradle  and  the  fairy  changeling  was 
gone.  In  the  cradle  also  was  the  cup  I  am  seeking, 
and  a  scroll  saying  that  while  it  was  kept  in  the  family 
no  ill  would  befall,  but  that  if  lost  the  line  would  be 
in  danger  of  extinction." 

"And  did  the  prophecy  ever  come  true?"  asked 
Sybil. 

"  Twice,"  replied  Kilspindie,  with  the  most  pro- 
found conviction.  "  In  the  reign  of  the  first  James  of 
Scotland  the  cup  was  stolen,  and  three  brothers  of  the 
chief  were  slain  in  battle.  Only  the  child  of  one  of 
them  lived,  for  the  chief  had  no  family.  Then  the  cup 
was  brought  back — I  could  tell  you  how,  but  the  story 
is  too  long — and  the  child  was  spared  to  become  the 
father  of  a  large  family." 

"  And  the  second  time  ?  "  asked  Tempest,  wonder- 
ing how  much  of  this  wild  tale  the  old  lord  believed. 

"  The  second  time  was  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  • 


Lord  Kilspindie  Explains        233 

The  castle  was  sacked  and  the  cup  taken.  All  the 
family  were  killed,  but  the  nurse  managed  to  save  one 
child,  with  whom  she  fled.  After  a  series  of  ad- 
ventures the  cup  was  restored  and  the  child  regained 
his  inheritance." 

"  How  strange !  "  said  Sybil.  "  And  now  that  the 
cup  is  lost  again  ? " 

Kilspindie  smiled.  "  Well,  you  see,  Miss  Tem- 
pest, I  have  but  one  son  and  he  is  lost.  If  I  do  not 
find  him  the  title  and  estates  must  go  to  a  distant 
cousin,  and  the  prophecy  of  the  fairies  will  be  ful- 
filled. That  is  why  I  am  so  anxious  to  get  the  cup. 
If  I  can  find  it  and  bring  it  back  to  Kilspindie  Castle, 
I  am  certain  that  I  shall  find  my  boy." 

"■'  A  wild  story,"  said  the  vicar,  after  a  pause. 
"  There  is  oftentimes  a  grain  of  truth  in  tliese  folk- 
tales. But  tell  me,  how  came  it  that  the  cup  was 
stolen  the  third  time  ?  " 

"  I  am  about  to  tell  you,"  replied  the  visitor.  "  There 
was  a  woman  called  Janet  Grant,  the  daughter  of  one 
of  my  tenants.  She  was  in  service  at  my  place,  but 
after  some  years  she  became  weary  of  the  dull  life. 
We  are  not  very  lively  up  in  the  north,"  said  Kil- 
spindie, with  a  laugh.  "  However,  this  woman  got 
tired  and  went  up  to  London.  There,  I  believe,  she 
obtained  a  situation,  but  what  her  life  was  while  ab- 
sent I  do  not  know.  She  was  always  reticent  on  the 
point.  After  six  years  she  returned.  In  the  interval 
I  had  married,  and  at  the  time  Janet  returned,  or  a 
year  before,  my  wife  became  a  mother.  I  was  the 
father  of  a  splendid  boy,  my  son  and  heir,  Lord  Alor- 


234  The  Pagan's  Cup 

ven.  Janet  was  taken  back  into  my  service  as  an 
under  nurse,  for  she  was  a  very  capable  woman." 

"  Had  she  a  good  temper  ?  "  asked  Sybil,  guessing 
what  was  coming. 

"  One  of  the  worst  tempers  in  the  world.  Also 
she  was  evil  in  her  disposition.  Had  I  known  then 
what  was  told  to  me  afterwards  by  the  other  ser- 
vants, she  should  never  have  re-entered  my  service. 
But  they  were  all  afraid  of  Janet  and  her  wicked 
ways,  and  therefore  remained  silent  when  it  was  their 
duty  to  speak  out.  When  the  boy  was  two  years  of 
age,  or  it  may  be  a  trifle  over,  the  head  nurse  died. 
Janet  expected  to  succeed,  but  my  wife  appointed  an- 
other woman." 

"  She  did  not  trust  Janet,"  hinted  the  vicar. 

"  No.  By  this  time  Janet  was  not  so  careful  in  her 
behaviour,  and  my  wife  began  to  suspect  her  true 
character.  Janet  was  very  angry  at  the  slight — as 
she  called  it — and  swore  she  would  be  revenged.  Of 
course,  she  knew  the  legend  of  the  cup,  so  it  struck 
her,  no  doubt,  that  if  she  stole  the  cup  the  usual 
disaster  would  follow." 

"  What  superstition !  "  murmured  Mr  Tempest. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,  sir,"  said  Kilspindie,  quietly. 
"  You  see,  Mr  Tempest,  we  had  chapter  and  verse 
for  what  might  happen.  However,  Janet,  out  of  re- 
venge, took  away  the  child  and  stole  the  cup.  She 
had  no  difficulty  in  doing  either.  The  cup  was  placed 
in  the  picture  gallery  under  a  glass  shade,  for  no  one 
ever  expected  that  it  would  be  stolen.  It  was  not 
guarded  so  carefully  as  it  should  have  been.     But 


Lord  Kilspindie  Explains        235 

who  would  have  thought  that  any  one  of  my  faithful 
servants  would  steal?  As  to  the  child,  Janet  was 
one  day  sent  out  with  him.  The  head  nurse  remamed 
at  home.  I  believe  she  then  took  the  cup  with  her. 
At  all  events  she  never  returned,  and  when  a  search 
was  made  both  the  child  and  the  cup  were  missing." 
Here  Lord  Kilspindie  stopped  and  shook  his  head. 
"What     happened     after     that?"     asked     Sybil, 

curiously. 

"  There  is  no  more  to  tell,  Miss  Tempest.     The  wo- 
man vanished  utterly  with  the  child  and  the  cup.    My 
wife,  poor  soul,  died  of  grief.    I  employed  all  manner 
of  means  to  find  the  woman,  but  without  result.     I 
even  offered  a  reward  and  a  pardon  if  she  would  bring 
back  what  she  had  taken.     But  she  gave  no  sign  of 
her  existence.     Well  "—Kilspindie  sighed— '  that   is 
all.     I  have  been  a  lonely  man  for  over  twenty  years, 
and  things  have  gone  wrong  with  me  in  every  way. 
I  am  certain  that  prosperity  will  not  return  to  me  and 
mine  until  the  cup  is  brought  back.     Then  I  may  hope 
to  recover  my  son.     You  can  understand  now  how 
anxious  I  am  to  find  this  man  Pratt.    I  would  willingly 
pardon  him  all  if  he  would  give  back  the  cup." 
"  I  wonder  how  he  became  possessed  of  it  ?  "  said 

Tempest. 

"  Ah !  "  said  Kilspindie,  "  that  is  what  we  must  find 
out.  He  seems  to  be  an  accomplished  thief,  so  it  may 
be  that  he  stole  the  cup.  On  the  other  hand,  Janet, 
finding  herself  hard  up,  may  have  pawned  it,  and 
Pratt  may  have  got  it  into  his  possession  in  that  way. 
You  tell  me  that  he  has  a  love  for  beautiful  things." 


236  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Such  a  love,"  said  the  vicar,  sadly,  "  that  he  is 
willing  to  be  a  thief  to  obtain  them.  Well,  my  lord, 
at  present  I  do  not  see  how  we  can  help  you." 

*'  There  is  one  way,"  said  Kilspindie,  after  a  pause. 
"  Give  me  a  letter  to  this  Mr  Marton,  and  with  his 
aid  I  may  succeed  in  tracing  Pratt.  In  the  meantime 
I  intend  to  wait  here  for  a  few  days.  At  my  age  I 
am  not  able  to  get  about  so  rapidly  as  I  once  did." 

The  man  did  indeed  look  old  and  worn-out.  But  he 
was  a  fine,  courtly  gentleman  of  what  is  called  the  old 
school,  and  Sybil  was  quite  fascinated  with  him.  Af- 
ter some  further  conversation  it  was  arranged  that  he 
should  remain  at  the  inn  until  the  end  of  the  week — 
it  was  now  Wednesday — and  that  afterwards  the  vicar 
should  accompany  him  to  London  to  introduce  him 
personally  to  Marton.  Leaving  her  father  and  Kil- 
spindie, together,  Sybil  went  to  her  room  to  think 
over  the  strange  episode  which  was  the  outcome  of  her 
advertisement. 

She  was  anxious  to  tell  Leo  all  about  it,  but  he  was 
at  Portfront,  and  she  had  received  no  letter  from  him. 
Sybil  wondered  at  this,  as  it  was  not  like  Leo  to  neg- 
lect her.  For  the  moment  she  was  inclined  to  drive  to 
Portfront  and  see  him.  He  had  given  her  no  reason 
for  his  departure,  and  she  was  becoming  anxious  about 
him.  Mrs  Gabriel  still  remained  in  seclusion,  and, 
so  far  as  Sybil  knew,  Leo  had  never  been  to  see  her. 
I  was  therefore  no  use  talking  to  Mrs  Gabriel  about 
the  man  she  had  so  cruelly  cast  off.  Her  father  she 
could  not  appeal  to  because,  although  he  wished  to 
make  amends  to  Leo  for  his  unjust  suspicions,  he  did 


Lord  Kilspindie  Explains        237 

not  wish  him  to  marry  her,  and  would  therefore  do 
nothing  likely  to  bring  them  together.  In  this  dilemma 
it  struck  Sybil  that  she  might  see  Raston ;  he  was  a 
kindly  creature,  and  all  through  the  dark  day  had  be- 
lieved in  Haverleigh's  innocence.  She  thought  that 
Raston  might  be  induced  to  bring  Leo  back  from  Port- 
front,  so  Sybil  put  on  her  hat  and  sought  out  the 
curate.     He  was  at  home  and  delighted  to  see  her. 

"  This  is  an  unexpected  pleasure,  ]\Iiss  Tempest," 
he  said,  wheeling  the  armchair  forward.  "  I  hope 
there  is  nothing  wrong." 

"Why  should  there  be  anything  wroncr?"  asked 
Sybil,  smiling. 

Raston  passed  his  hand  across  his  forehead  with  a 
troubled  air.  "  This  fact  is  I  do  not  feel  well  this 
morning,"  he  said.  "  I  have  received  a  letter  from 
Town  which  has  worried  me.  But  do  not  let  m£  in- 
flict my  troubles  on  you,  ]\Iiss  Tempest.  What  can  I 
do?" 

"  I'll  tell  you,  Mr  Raston.  But,  first  of  all,  you 
must  promise  to  keep  all  I  tell  you  a  secret.  I  don't 
think  I  am  breaking  confidence  in  saying  what  is  in 
my  mind,  as  I  gave  no  promise  of  secrecy.  But  I  must 
tell  you  all,  as  you  are  the  only  person  who  can  advise 
me." 

"  I  promise  to  keep  your  secret,  whatever  it  may 
be,  ]^Iiss  Tempest." 

"  Then  listen  to  the  latest  information  about  the 
cup,"  said  Sybil,  and  forthwith  related  to  Raston  the 
news  of  Lord  Kilspindie's  arrival,  and  how  he  had 
been  brought  to  Colester  by  means  of  the  advertise- 


238  The  Pagan's  Cup 

ment.  Having  made  this  preliminary  explanation,  she 
related  the  story  which  had  been  told  to  her  father  and 
herself.  As  no  promise  of  secrecy  had  been  given,. 
Sybil  did  not  think  she  was  doing  wrong;  and,  be- 
sides, it  was  necessary  for  Raston  to  know  all  the  de- 
tails before  he  could  help  her  to  bring  Leo  back. 
Finally,  she  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  the  curate's 
silence. 

"  It  is  a  most  extraordinary  story,"  he  said,  when 
she  had  finished ;  "  and  more  curious  still — "  here  he 
stopped  short  and  considered.  "  I  can  tell  you  what 
is  in  my  mind  later,"  he  said ;  "  at  present  you  must 
let  me  know  in  what  way  I  can  serve  you." 

''  I  want  you  to  help  me  with  Leo,"  said  Sybil, 
promptly.  ''  For  some  reason  he  has  gone  to  Port- 
front  and  is  stopping  there.  I  would  go  over  myself 
and  bring  him  back,  but  I  am  afraid  of  offending  my 
father.  I  want  Leo  to  be  introduced  to  Lord 
Kilspindie." 

"For  what  reason,  Miss  Tempest  ?  " 

Sybil  looked  at  the  ground,  and  began  to  draw  dia- 
grams with  a  dainty  shoe.  "  Well,  Mr  Raston,  you 
know  that  I  want  to  marry  Leo,"  she  said,  with  a 
blush,  "  and  at  present  there  are  so  many  obstacles 
to  our  engagement.  My  father  is  not  so  just  towards 
Leo  as  he  should  be.  I  suppose  this  is  because  he  is 
poor  and  has  no  prospects.  If  he  enlists  and  goes  to^ 
the  war,  I  do  not  see  how  that  will  bring  us  together. 
Even  if  he  gets  a  commission  I  cannot  marry  him. 
There  will  not  be  enough  money.  Now,  I  thought 
that  as  I  had  done  something  to  bring  Lord  Kilspindie 


Lord  Kilspindie  Explains        239 

.a  chance  of  getting  back  the  cup,  he  might  be  induced 
to  do  something  for  myself  and  Leo." 

"  Something    might    come    of    it,  certainly.    Miss 

Tempest." 

"  I  am  sure  Lord  Kilspindie  is  very  kind,"  she  said 
in  a  feminine  way.  "  He  looks  kind.  Leo  has  de- 
lightful manners,  as  you  know,  Mr.  Raston.  He  is 
clever  in  his  own  way  and  well  educated.  Lord  Kil- 
spindie might  take  a  fancy  to  him  and  make  him  a 
secretary  or  something.  At  all  events,  he  might  put 
him  in  the  way  of  earning  money,  for  I  am  sure  that 
Lord  Kilspindie  has  power  as  well  as  wealth." 

"  Then  you  want  Leo  to  come  back  and  meet  him  ?  " 
"  Yes.    You  must  tell  him  all  I  have  told  you,  and 
say  that  if  he  loves  me  he  must  come  back  at  once." 

"  I  shall  do  what  you  say,  Miss  Tempest,  and  if  I 
can  induce  Leo  to  return  he  certainly  shall.  I  do  not 
know  why  he  went  to  Portfront.  His  name  was 
cleared,  and  he  need  have  had  no  hesitation  in  remain- 
ing at  Colester." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  is  the  matter  with 
liim,"  said  Sybil,  with  a  sigh ;  "  he  has  been  so  strange 
lately.  I  am  sure  he  is  keeping  something  from  me. 
But  if  I  get  him  to  myself  I'll  find  out  what  it  is.  But 
you  will  go  to  Portfront,  Mr  Raston?" 

"  Yes.  This  afternoon.  In  fact,  I  was  going  that 
wav  in  any  case,  IMiss  Tempest,  as  I  intend  to  journey 
to  London." 

"Why  are  you  going  to  London?"  asked  Sybil  In 
surprise.  She  knew  that  Raston  rarely  went  to  the 
fifreat  citv. 


240  The  Pagan's  Cup 

The  curate  hesitated  again  and  rubbed  his  hair  in  a 
distracted  way.  "  I  would  rather  you  did  not  ask  me, 
Miss  Tempest,"  he  said  at  length.  "  I  am  going  to 
London  in  answer  to  a  letter.  I  hope  to  be  back  on 
Saturday.  I  have  to  preach  on  Sunday,  as  you  know. 
The  vicar  said  something  about  taking  a  service  at 
Portfront." 

"  As  Lord  Kilspindie  will  be  at  church  on  Sunday," 
said  Sybil,  "  I  think  papa  will  stay.  He  looks  upon 
Lord  Kilspindie  as  his  guest." 

''  Well,  in  any  case  I'll  be  back,"  said  the  curate, 
with  a  nod ;  "  then  I  shall  be  able  to  tell  you  the 
reason  I  had  to  go.  In  the  meantime.  Miss  Tempest, 
I  wish  you  would  see  Pearl  Darry  occasionally.  She 
goes  wandering  about  the  moor  lamenting  her  lost 
soul,  poor  creature.  I  have  been  with  her  a  good  deal, 
but  while  I  am  away  she  may  do  something  desperate. 
You  see  her.  Miss  Tempest,  and  persuade  her  that  she 
is  under  the  care  of  the  Master." 

"  I'll  do  my  best,"  replied  Sybil ;  "  but  I  am  afraid 
I  am  not  good  enough  to  preach,  Mr  Raston.  What 
a  shame  of  Mrs  Jeal  to  put  these  ideas  into  the  girl's 
head !  She  knew  that  Pearl  was  not  sane,  and  to  make 
her  think  such  things  v/as  downright  dangerous." 

"  I  know."  Raston  sighed.  "  If  we  could  only  get 
back  the  cup,  Pearl  would  be  satisfied  that  the  Master 
is  pleased  with  her  and  has  taken  her  into  favour 
again.  Then  she  would  recover  her  old  faith  in  the 
goodness  and  love  of  God  which  Mrs  Jeal,  with  the 
best  intentions,  no  doubt,  has  destroyed.  I  cannot 
think  Mrs  Jeal  is  a  good  woman." 


Lord  Kilspindie  Explains         241 

"  I  am  sure  she  is  a  very  bad  one,"  said  Sybil,  em- 
phatically. "  However,  I'll  do  as  you  wish,  Mr  Ras- 
ton.  Good-day.  A  pleasant  journey,"  and  she 
departed. 

The  curate  took  out  a  letter,  glanced  at  it,  shook  his 
head.  He  was  puzzled  by  the  communication,  and 
knew  not  what  to  make  of  it. 


CHAPTER     XVIII 

A      MIRACLE 

That  same  afternoon  Raston  notified  the  vicar  that 
he  was  going  for  a  few  days  to  London.  On  the  un- 
derstanding that  the  young  man  would  be  back  for 
morning  service  on  Sunday,  the  vicar  readily  consented 
that  he  should  go.  Raston  forthwith  packed  his  bag, 
and  driving  to  Portfront  stayed  there  the  night.  But 
for  Sybil's  message  he  would  have  waited  until  the 
next  day,  and  have  gone  directly  to  London  without 
pausing  on  the  way.  However,  he  wished  to  have  a 
talk  with  Leo,  both  on  account  of  Sybil's  message  and 
because  he  wanted  to  consult  with  the  young  man 
about  the  letter  which  worried  him.  This  entailed  a 
long  conversation,  so  Raston  put  up  at  the  hotel  at 
which  Leo  was  staying,  and  sent  a  message  that  he 
wanted  to  see  Mr  Haverleigh. 

Leo  made  his  appearance,  looking  haggard  and 
worried,  and  very  much  unlike  his  usual  self.  He 
seemed  nervous  on  seeing  Raston,  and  hurriedly  ap- 
proached him  as  though  he  expected  to  hear  bad  news. 
The  events  of  the  last  few  weeks  had  shaken  Leo's 
nerves,  and  he  was  prepared  for  any  calamity — even 
to  hear  that  Pratt  had  been  arrested.  Something  of 
the  sort  he  expected  to  hear  now. 


A  Miracle  243 

"  Hullo,  Raston !  "  he  cried,  with  an  affectation  of 
brightness.    "  What  brings  you  here  ?  " 

"  I  am  on  my  way  to  London,"  said  Raston,  shaking 
hands  in  a  friendly  fashion,  "  and  I  am  staying  here 
for  the  night,  as  I  want  to  have  a  long  talk  with  you." 

"  Very  glad,"  replied  Leo,  mechanically.  Then 
after  a  pause  he  raised  his  head.  "  There  is  no  bad 
news,  I  trust?"    he  asked  anxiously. 

"  By  no  means.     My  news  is  good. 

"  Then  it  cannot  concern  me,"  said  Leo,  bitterly. 
"  No  good  news  ever  comes  my  way  now.  What 
is  it?" 

"  I'll  tell  you  after  dinner." 

"  No;  tell  me  now!  I  can't  wait.  I  am  so  anxious 
and  worried  that  my  mind  cannot  bear  suspense." 

"  You  brood  too  much  on  things,"  said  Raston. 
"  However,  the  matter  is  very  simple.  Miss  Tempest 
wants  you  to  return  at  once  to  Colester." 

"What  for?  Has  her  father  discovered  anything 
bad  about  me  ?  " 

Raston  laughed.  "  No.  You  are  getting  morbid 
on  the  subject — the  result,  I  suppose,  of  your  late  ex- 
perience of  man's  injustice.  If  you  will  sit  down  I 
will  tell  you  what  she  asked  me  to  say.  It  is  a  long 
story." 

"  An  agreeable  one,  I  hope,"  muttered  Leo,  dropping 
dejectedly  into  a  chair.  "  I  really  cannot  bear  much 
more  worry  without  going  to  chuck  myself  into  the 
water." 

"  Haverleigh,"  said  the  curate,  severely,  "  that  is 
an  ungrateful  way  to  speak,  after  the  mercy  God  has 


244  The  Pagan's  Cup 

shown  you.  Has  he  not  brought  you  through  much 
tribulation,  and  set  you  feet  on  a  rock  of  safety !  " 

"  Well,  there  are  two  answers  to  that,  Raston. 
However,  I'll  try  and  behave  myself  while  you  tell  me 
what  Sybil  said." 

Raston  sighed.  Not  knowing  Leo's  worry,  he  was 
beginning  to  think  him  wrong  to  behave  as  he  did. 
Still,  this  was  not  the  time  to  preach,  and,  unlike  most 
clergymen,  Raston  knew  where  to  stop.  He  sat  down 
near  Leo  and  related  the  whole  story  of  Lord  Kil- 
spindie  and  his  loss.  Then  he  detailed  Sybil's  idea 
that  Kilspindie  might  do  something  for  the  young  man. 
"  And  if  your  future  is  arranged  you  can  then  be 
married." 

"  I  shall  never  be  married,  Raston,"  said  Leo, 
gloomily.  "  If  you  knew —  But  I  must  keep  my  own 
counsel.  What  takes  you  to  London  ?  "  he  asked  sud- 
denly. "  You  are  such  a  home  bird  that  there  must  be 
some  strong  reason." 

"  The  very  strongest,"  replied  the  curate,  drawing 
a  letter  out  of  his  pocket.  "  But  first  you  must 
promise  to  hold  your  tongue  about  what  I  am  going  to 
tell  you." 

Leo  nodded,  *'  I  have  too  many  unpleasant  secrets 
of  my  own  not  to  keep  those  of  others,"  he  said. 
"  Well,  what's  up  ?  " 

"  Read  this  letter  from  Pratt." 

"Pratt!"  Haverleigh  took  the  letter  hurriedly. 
"  Why,  what  is  he  writing  to  you  about  ?  "  He  cast 
his  eyes  over  the  letter.  It  w^as  to  the  effect  that  Pratt 
would  be  glad  to  see  Raston  at  a  certain  place  in 


A  Miracle  245 

London  to  speak  with  him  about  the  cup  which  had 
been  lost.  It  asked  the  curate  to  keep  the  contents  of 
the  letter  a  secret,  or  at  all  events  to  tell  only  Leo 
Haverleigh.  Also,  it  warned  Raston  that  if  he  be- 
haved treacherously,  and  brought  down  the  police  on 
Pratt,  that  there  would  be  the  devil  to  pay.  These  last 
words  were  underlined  and  shocked  the  curate.  The 
time  and  place  of  the  appointment  were  also  under- 
lined, and  from  the  way  in  which  the  meeting  was  ar- 
ranged Leo  could  see  that  his  father  had  contrived  to 
see  Raston  without  running  the  risk  of  arrest. 

"I  wonder  what  he  wants  to  see  you  about !  "  said 
Leo,  handing  back  the  letter  and  speaking  uneasily. 
He  fancied  that  Pratt  might  be  going  to  reveal  to 
Raston  the  secret  of  his  own  paternity. 

"  About  the  cup,"  said  Raston,  returning  the  letter 
to  his  pocket.  "  I  suppose  he  is  about  to  give  it  back 
to  us  again.  Not  that  it  will  ever  be  used  again  for  so 
sacred  a  purpose.  I  shall  take  it  and  return  it  to  Lord 
Kilspindie.  That  is  only  right,  as  the  cup  was  stolen 
from  him." 

"  Ah,  I  forgot !  You  think  that  Pratt  has  the  cup  ?  " 
said  Leo. 

"  He  has.  Do  you  not  remember  the  letter  he  wrote 
to  Marton  saying  he  had  stolen  the  cup  and  again  had 
it  in  his  possession  ?  " 

"  I  remember ;  but  that  was  one  of  Pratt's  fairy 
tales." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  asked  Raston,  astonished. 
"  Has  he  written  to  you  ?  " 

"  No.    I  have  seen  him." 


246  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"In  London?" 

"  In  Colester." 

Raston  pushed  back  his  chair  and  stared  at  his 
friend.  "When  did  you  see  him  in  Colester?"  he 
asked,  open-mouthed. 

"  A  few  days  ago."  Leo  pondered  for  a  moment 
while  Raston  stared  at  him.  He  wondered  if  it  would 
not  be  as  well  to  make  a  confidant  of  the  curate,  and 
ask  his  advice.  The  secret  was  rapidly  becoming  too 
much  for  him  to  bear  alone.  Raston  was  his  friend,  a 
good  fellow,  and  a  wise  young  man.  Certainly  it 
would  be  well  to  confide  in  him.  Leo  made  up  his 
mind.  "  I  have  to  tell  you  something  that  will  astonish 
you.    I  speak  in  confidence,  Raston." 

"Anything  you  tell  me  will  be  sacred,"  replied  the 
curate,  with  dignity. 

Leo  nodded,  quite  satisfied  with  this  assurance. 
Then  he  related  all  that  had  taken  place  in  the  castle 
on  that  night  when  he  had  discovered  Mrs  Gabriel 
and  Pratt  in  company.  Raston  fairly  gasped  with 
surprise  as  the  recital  proceeded,  and  when  Leo  con- 
fessd  that  Pratt  claimed  him  as  a  son  he  sprang  from 
his  seat. 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it !  "  he  cried,  brinsfins: 
his  fist  down  on  the  table.  "The  man  is  a  vile  liar. 
Whomsoever  you  may  be,  Leo,  you  are  certainly  not 
the  son  of  this  wretch.  Can  a  bad  tree  bear  good 
fruit?    No." 

"  But  he  can  give  me  proofs." 

"  He  has  not  done  so  yet.  Let  me  speak  to  him, 
Leo.    I  may  be  able  to  get  more  out  of  him  than  you. 


A  Miracle  247 

I  am  your  friend,  you  know  that!  so  if  you  will  place 
the  matter  in  my  hands,  I  promise  to  find  out  the 
truth  somehow." 

"  Well,"  said  Leo,  with  some  hesitation,  "  I  rather 
thought  of  coming  with  you  to  London.  Pratt  expects 
me." 

"  He  has  not  written  to  that  effect,"  said  Raston. 
"  I  tell  you,  Leo,  the  man  is  dangerous  and  imscru- 
pulous.  The  fact  that  he  claims  you  as  his  son  will 
prevent  you  dealing  freely  with  him.  I  can  manage 
him  better  myself.  You  go  back  to  Colester  and  Miss 
Tempest.  It  is  but  right  that  you  should  do  what  she 
wishes,  as  she  has  held  by  you  in  your  time  of  trouble. 
Besides,  I  quite  approve  of  her  wish  to  introduce  you 
to  Lord  Kilspindie.  And  if — oh! — "  Raston  stopped 
short. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Raston  ?  " 

"  Suppose  you  should  be  the  long-lost  son  of  Lord 
Kilspindie?" 

"  Ridiculous !  "  said  Leo,  shaking  his  head  and 
flushing. 

"  It  is  no  more  ridiculous  than  that  you  should  be 
the  son  of  a  thief — or,  rather,  believe  yourself  to  be 
so.  Why  should  you  believe  the  bad  and  doubt  the 
good?  See  here,  Leo" — Raston  was  much  excited — 
"the  cup  was  lost  along  with  the  child.  Pratt  has  the 
cup,  why  should  you  not  be  the  child?  The  woman 
who  stole  both  might  have  died  and  passed  them  on 
to  Pratt.  For  his  own  purposes  he  says  that  he  is 
vour  father." 


248  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  I  can't  believe  it,  Raston,"  said  Leo,  shaking  his 
head. 

"  Well ;  disbelieve  it  if  you  choose.  If  the  thing  is 
so,  what  you  think  will  not  alter  it.  All  I  ask  is  that 
you  should  let  me  represent  you  at  this  interview.  I 
have  to  see  Pratt  on  my  own  account.  Let  me  see 
him  on  yours." 

"  Very  good,  Raston.  You  can  do  what  you  like. 
I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you  for  the  trouble  you  are 
taking." 

"  Indeed,  it  is  only  right,  Leo,"  protested  the  cu- 
rate. "  I  begin  to  see  that  you  have  been  wronged. 
I  may  not  be  right  in  my  surmise  about  your  being  the 
son  of  Kilspindie.  But  I  am  sure  that  I  am  correct  in 
saying  you  are  not  the  son  of  that  scoundrel.  Now,  go 
back  to  Colester,  hold  your  tongue,  and  wait  till  I 
come  back  on  Saturday." 

"  I'll  do  as  you  wish,"  said  Leo,  sadly;  "but  indeed 
I  have  no  hope." 

"  I  have,"  said  the  curate,  emphatically,  and  the 
conversation  ended. 

The  next  day  Raston  departed  by  the  steamer  to 
London,  via  Worthing,  and  Leo  returned  to  his  old 
quarters  at  the  Colester  Arms.  His  meeting  with  the 
curate  had  done  him  good,  and  although  he  did  not 
adhere  to  Raston's  theory  about  his  noble  paternity, 
yet  he  felt  more  cheerful  and  hopeful.  He  was  partic- 
ular as  to  his  toilet,  which,  in  his  despair,  he  had  rather 
neglected  of  late,  and  went  to  the  Vicarage.  Sybil  was 
away  with  Pearl  on  the  moor,  the  servant  said.  Leo 
would  have  followed,  but  Mr  Tempest  caught  sight 


A  Miracle  249 

of  him,  and  insisted  that  he  should  enter  and  be  in- 
troduced to  Lord  Kilspindie.  Leo  willingly  obeyed, 
as  he  was  anxious  to  see  his  supposed  father  according 
to  Raston.  He  could  not  help  smiling  when  he  was 
presented. 

Kilspindie  was  taken  by  that  smile.  He  saw  before 
him  a  singularly  splendid  young  man,  with  a  grace- 
ful, slender  figure  and  a  handsome  face,  but  best  of  all 
was  the  kindly  look  in  the  eyes.  Kilspindie  shook 
hands  heartily  with  Leo,  and  sighed  as  he  thought  that 
his  lost  son  might  be  just  such  another.  Had  he 
known  of  what  Raston  and  the  young  man  before  him 
had  talked  about  on  the  previous  night,  he  might  have 
been  more  particular  in  his  inquiries,  and  might  per- 
chance have  been  brought  to  think  as  Raston  did. 
However,  he  knew  nothing,  Leo  said  nothing,  and  the 
conversation  resolved  itself  into  the  commonplace. 
Tempest  was  kind  to  Leo,  Kilspindie  was  friendly,  and 
the  three  got  on  very  well. 

Meanwhile,  Sybil  and  Pearl  were  walking  across  the 
moor.  After  a  time  they  stopped  at  the  turf  altar 
erected  by  the  mad  girl,  and  she  explained  to  her 
companion  the  reason  she  had  made  such  a  place. 

"  The  Master  is  angry  with  poor  Pearl  now,"  she 
said  sadly,  "  and  He  has  taken  the  sacred  cup  from 
her.  She  is  not  good  enough  to  keep  it.  But  when 
the  Master  is  pleased,  and  will  save  Pearl  from  the 
Pit" — she  shuddered — "He  will  place  the  cup  on  this 
altar,  and  Pearl  will  bring  it  back  to  the  chapel.  Then 
she  will  be  saved  and  happy." 


250  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  But,  Pearl,  you  must  not  think  of  God  in  this 
way.    He  is  your  Father,  and  He  loves  you." 

"He  did  love  Pearl,  but  He  made  her  ill,  and  Mrs 
Jeal  told  Pearl  that  she  was  wicked  and  in  danger  of 
the  Worm." 

"  Pearl !  Pearl !  Do  not  believe  that.  Mrs  Jeal  is 
wrong.    God  loves  you !  " 

"  Why,  then,  did  He  make  Pearl  ill  if  He  loved  her? 
And  why  did  he  take  away  the  Holy  Grail  which 
Pearl  watched  over  so  carefully  ?  " 

"  He  did  not  take  it  away,"  said  Sybil,  hardly 
knowing  v;hat  reply  to  make. 

"  Yes,  He  did,"  persisted  the  poor,  mad  creature. 
"  Pearl  was  not  good  enough  to  keep  it.  But  when 
she  is  good  the  cup  will  come  down  to  earth  again." 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  in  heaven  now,  Pearl  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  it  is.  No  roof  here  to  stop  the  cup 
from  floating  up  to  the  New  Jerusalem.  In  the  chapel 
it  would  have  stayed,  because  the  bad  roof  kept  it 
down,  but  here  it  went  up  and  up  and  up  to  the  sky." 

Sybil  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  this  talk.  She 
soothed  the  girl  as  much  as  she  could  and  tried  to 
bring  her  back  to  that  old  happy  state  of  mind  which 
Mrs  Jeal  had  destroyed  with  her  gloomy  Calvinistic 
creed.  But  it  was  all  of  no  use.  Only  the  restoration 
of  the  cup  would  make  Pearl  believe  that  she  was  good 
again.  However,  Sybil  induced  her  to  talk  of  other 
things,  of  birds  and  flowers,  and  the  poor  creature  was 
in  a  quieter  state  of  mind  when  Sybil  brought  her  back 
to  the  cottage. 

"  I  go  every  morning  to  the  altar,"  said  Pearl,  as  she 


A  Miracle  251 

went  inside.  "  The  cup  will  come  back  when  the 
Master  is  sorry  for  Pearl." 

At  this  moment  Mrs  Jeal  pulled  her  into  the  house 
and  scolded  her  for  being  away.  When  she  saw  Sybil 
she  became  more  civil,  but  still  behaved  in  a  covertly 
insolent  manner.    Sybil  grew  angry. 

"  You  have  behaved  very  wickedly  in  putting  these 
ideas  into  Pearl's  head,  Mrs  Jeal,"  she  said  severely. 
"  The  poor  creature  is  not  responsible.  She  does  not 
understand." 

"  She  understands  more  than  you  give  her  credit 
for,  miss,"  retorted  Airs  Jeal,  coolly,  ''  and  she  is 
not  fit  to  be  left  alone.  But  when  I  go  away  I  shall 
put  her  in  an  asylum." 

"Indeed,  you  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort !  "  cried 
Miss  Tempest,  indignantly.  "  The  poor  thing  would 
die.  Liberty  is  all  in  all  to  her.  When  are  you  going 
away  ? " 

"  I  go  with  Sir  Frank  Hale,  miss.  I  am  going  to 
be  the  maid  of  his  sister." 

"  I  heard  Sir  Frank  w^as  leaving  Colester,"  said 
Sybil,  coldly,  "  and  I  think  it  is  the  best  thing  he 
can  do.    When  does  he  go,  Mrs  Jeal  ?  " 

"  In  a  week,  miss.  I  have  got  a  good  situation,  miss, 
and  I  do  not  w^ant  to  be  burdened  with  Pearl.  She 
must  go  to  an  asylum." 

"No,  no!  I  shall  take  charge  of  her  myself,"  said 
S)'bil.  "  You  leave  her  to  me,  Mrs  Jeal,  and  I'll 
look  after  her." 

"Well,  I  might,  miss;     I'll  see."     Then,  after  a 


252  The  Pagan's  Cup 

pause,  Mrs  Jeal  asked,  "  About  that  gentleman  at  your 
place,  miss — will  he  stay  long  ?  " 

*'  Only  till  the  end  of  the  week.  I  suppose  you 
mean  Lord  Kilspindie  ?  " 

Mrs  Jeal's  wicked  eyes  blazed.  "  Yes,  I  mean  him," 
she  said,  and  gave  an  unpleasant  laugh.  "  Oh !  so 
he  goes  at  the  end  of  the  week !  Well,  miss,  before  I 
take  up  my  situation  with  Miss  Hale,  I'll  come  and  see 
you  about  Pearl.  If  you  could  take  her  I  should  be 
glad,  but  you'll  find  her  a  nuisance." 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  said  Sybil,  coldly.  "  When  will 
you  call  ?  " 

"  After  the  departure  of  Lord  Kilspindie,"  said  Mrs 
Jeal,  with  another  wicked  look,  and  went  into  the 
house.  Sybil  departed,  wondering  why  the  woman  had 
asked  about  Lord  Kilspindie,  and  why  she  seemed 
afraid  to  meet  him.  Had  she  been  clever  enough,  she 
might  have  guessed  the  truth.  xA-s  it  was  the  matter 
passed  out  of  her  mind. 

After  this  there  were  some  very  pleasant  3venings 
at  the  Vicarage.  Leo  felt  almost  happy,  in.  spite  of  his 
troubles.  He  could  not  as  yet  bring  himself  to  tell 
Sybil  that  he  could  never  marry  her.  Besides,  he  was 
hoping  agains^  hope  that  Raston  would  bring  back 
some  good  news  from  London.  Not,  indeed,  that  he 
(Leo  Haver leigh)  was  the  lost  son  of  Lord  Kilspin- 
die— that  such  good  fortune  should  be  his  never  en- 
tered Leo's  head — but  that  Pratt  was  not  his  father. 
Leo  felt  that  he  would  rather  be  proved  to  be  illegiti- 
mate, as  Mrs  Gabriel  had  told  the  vicar  he  was,  than 
have  such  a  father  as  the  criminal,  Pratt.    Yet,  at  times 


A  Miracle  253 

he  felt  sorry  for  the  man.  It  was  certain  that  he  had 
in  him  some  good  quahties.  But  whenever  Leo 
thought  of  him  as  his  father,  he  became  enraged 
against  him.    The  thing  was  too  horrible. 

Lord  Kilspindie  took  wonderfully  to  Leo,  and  this 
the  vicar  was  pleased  to  see.  Owing  to  Leo's  want 
of  an  honest  name,  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  con- 
sent to  the  marriage,  so  he  hoped  that  the  Scotch  lord 
might  take  a  fancy  to  the  young  man  and  carry  him 
off.  Thus  Sybil  would  be  safe,  and  Leo  would  be  pro- 
vided for.  ]\Ir.  Tempest  had  evidently  forgotten  his 
own  youth,  or  he  would  have  remembered  that  loving 
hearts  are  not  so  easily  severed.  Leo  and  Sybil  loved 
one  another  too  well  for  aught  to  come  between  them. 

On  Saturday  night  Raston  returned.  It  was  so  late 
that  Leo  had  not  expected  him,  so  they  did  not  meet 
until  the  next  morning.  Then  it  was  on  the  way  to 
church. 

''Well,"  Leo  asked  eagerly,  "  and  what  does  my — 
what  does  Pratt  say  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  after  service,"  said  Raston,  hastily. 
"  At  present  I  can't  think  of  these  things." 

"  But  one  word,  Raston,"  urged  Leo.  "  Is  Pratt  my 
father?" 

"  No,"  replied  the  curate,  emphatically,  "  he  is  not." 
And  before  Leo  could  ask  another  question  he  ran  off. 
Filled  with  joy  at  the  intelligence,  but  much  be- 
wildered, Leo  went  to  church  to  offer  up  thanks. 

Kilspindie  was  also  in  church,  and  with  Sybil,  in 
the  vicar's  pew.  j\Ir  Tempest  allowed  Raston  to 
preach,  as  had  been  arranged,  and  took  a  very  minor 


254  The  Pagan's  Cup 

part  in  the  service.  Indeed,  he  did  Httle  else  but  read 
the  lessons.  The  church  was  filled,  as  everyone  was 
anxious  to  see  Lord  Kilspindie.  Mrs  Bathurst  was 
there,  wondering  if  his  lordship  could  be  induced  to 
marry  Peggy.  She  quite  forgot  that  she  had  promised 
her  daughter's  hand  to  the  curate,  and  was  already 
scheming  to  get  at  the  old  nobleman.  That  he  was  old 
did  not  matter  to  Mrs.  Bathurst.  She  would  have  sold 
her  daughter  to  anyone,  provided  the  match  was  a 
good  one.  And,  curious  to  say.  she  would  have  con- 
sidered that  she  had  done  her  duty  as  a  mother.  Her 
moral  nature  was  decidedly  warped. 

The  service  was  almost  over,  and  the  church- 
wardens were  handing  round  the  bags  for  the  collec- 
tion when  a  sweet  voice  was  heard  singing  in  the  dis- 
tance. Everyone  recognised  the  voice — it  was 
Pearl's — and  the  vicar,  kneeling  at  the  communion 
table,  looked  rather  disturbed.  He  knew  the  eccentric 
ways  of  the  girl,  and  he  feared  lest  she  might  come  in 
and  distract  the  attention  of  the  congregation.  And 
his  fears  were  fulfilled — Pearl,  still  singing,  entered 
the  church.  The  scandalised  church-wardens  would 
have  kept  her  out,  but  that  she  bore  something  which 
made  them  open  their  eyes.  The  congregation  also 
became  aware  of  Pearl's  burden,  and  a  gasp  of  aston- 
ishment went  round.  Still  singing  some  wild,  vague 
melody,  the  mad  girl  walked  slowly  up  the  aisle, 
bearing  the  sacred  cup. 

Lord  Kilspindie  did  not  see  her  until  she  was  almost 
at  the  chancel  steps.  He  then  gave  a  cry  of  astonish- 
ment, in  spite  of  the  building  and  the  occasion.    Surely 


A  Miracle  255 

he  might  have  been  pardoned,  for  the  fairy  cup  upon 
which  depended  the  fortunes  of  the  Grants  ghttered 
before  his  eyes.  There  was  a  dead  silence.  Everyone 
was  too  astonished  to  speak  or  move.  The  vicar  him- 
self vvas  staring  from  the  communion  table  at  this 
miracle.  But  Raston,  who  had  come  down  to  receive 
the  collection,  stood  quietly  waiting  till  the  girl  reached 
him.  She  came  up  singing,  placed  the  great  gold  cup 
in  his  hand  and  fell  on  her  knees. 

"  The  oMaster  has  forgiven  Pearl/'  she  said  in  a 
voice  which  could  be  heard  all  over  the  church.  '*  She 
is  saved  and  the  cup  will  be  here  to  watch  over  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen.  Amen."  And  she  bowed  her  face  in 
her  hands. 

Raston  paused  for  a  moment  in  hesitation  and 
glanced  at  the  vicar,  then  at  Lord  Kilspindie.  Then 
he  made  up  his  mind,  and  walking  up  to  the  altar, 
placed  the  cup  in  its  old  position.  And  there  it  glit- 
tered, all  gold  and  gems,  with  the  sunlight  striking 
down  on  it,  until  it  became  almost  too  glorious  to  look 
upon.  Lord  Kilspindie  stared,  with  tears  in  his  eyes. 
The  cup  would  be  his  again  and  he  would  soon  have 
his  son.  He  never  doubted  but  that  the  restoration  of 
the  one  was  the  prelude  to  the  discovery  of  the  other. 

Raston  pronounced  the  Benediction  and  the  organ 
broke  forth  into  jubilant  music.  Shortly  the  congre- 
gation streamed  out.  Everyone  was  much  excited. 
The  old  nobleman  came  out  with  Sybil,  and  they  waited 
at  the  porch  for  the  vicar.    Leo  also  was  with  them. 

Suddenly  a  woman  broke  through  the  crowd  in  the 
churchyard.     It  was  Airs  Jeal,  and  she  was  seeking 


256  The  Pagan's  Gup 

Pearl,  In  her  haste  she  never  noticed  Lord  Kilspin- 
die,  until  she  almost  ran  into  his  arms.  Suddenly  he 
saw  her  face,  started,  and  made  one  stride  forward  to 
clutch  her  by  the  arm. 

"  The  cup  and  then  the  heir !  "  he  said  loudly,  while 
all  looked  on  amazed.  "  Janet  Grant,  where  is  my  son, 
Lord  Morven  1 " 


CHAPTER    XIX 

A     STORY     OF     THE     PAST 

Half-an-hour  later  and  Lord  Kilspindie  was 
back  in  the  Vicarage  library  with  Janet  Grant,  or,  as  it 
may  be  more  convenient  to  call  her,  Mrs  Jeal.  Mr 
Tempest  was  present,  together  with  Leo  and  Mr  Ras- 
ton,  and  they  had  assembled  to  force  the  truth  out  of 
Mrs  Jeal.  This  was  no  easy  matter.  All  the  evil  in 
the  woman  was  uppermost,  and  with  her  shawl 
wrapper  round  her  tightly  she  sat  there  and  defied 
them  all. 

"  You  may  burn  me,  you  may  put  me  in  prison,"  said 
]\Irs  Jeal,  savagely,  "  but  I  won't  open  my  mouth." 

"  I'll  have  you  arrested  unless  you  tell  the  truth," 
said  Lord  Kilspindie. 

"  Arrest  me,  then,"  snarled  Mrs  Jeal.  "  There's  a 
policeman  handy,  my  lord." 

"Why  are  you  behaving  like  this,  woman?"  asked 
the  vicar,  sternly. 

"Why!"  she  retorted  violently.  "Because  I  was 
badly  treated  by  my  lord  there.  I  served  him  faith- 
fully for  many  years,  )'et,  in  place  of  giving  me  the 
position  to  which  I  was  entitled,  he  set  another 
woman — a  woman  I  hated — over  my  head.  But  I 
paid  him  out,"  she  said  revengefully.     "  Oh !   many  a 


258  The  Pagan's  Cup 

sad  hour  you  have  had,  my  lord!  And  many  more 
you  will  have.  I  know  where  your  son  is ;  but  I  won't 
tell.  You  have  got  back  the  cup,  but  the  son,  my  Lord 
Morven,"  she  sneered,  "  will  remain  in  the  humble 
position  in  which  I  have  placed  him." 

Something  is  gained,"  said  Kilspindie.  "  You  have 
revealed  that  my  son  is  alive  and  well.  I'll  get  the 
rest  out  of  you." 

"Never!"  Mrs  Jeal  shut  her  mouth  with  a  snap 
and  shook  herself.    "  I'll  not  speak  another  word!  " 

"  What  a  wicked  woman  you  are,"  said  the  vicar, 
sadly.  Mrs  Jeal's  eyes  flashed  a  wicked  glance  at 
him,  but,  true  to  her  determination,  she  held  her  peace. 
It  seemed  impossible  to  do  anything  with  so  pro- 
nounced a  vixen. 

Hitherto  Raston  had  been  silent.  Now  he  came  for- 
ward. "  I  am  able  to  deal  with  this  matter,"  he  said 
quietly,  "  and  I  have  a  way  of  making  the  woman 
speak." 

Mrs  Jeal  shook  her  head  and  glared.  The  vicar  and 
Kilspindie  both  looked  at  the  curate.  So  did  Leo. 
He  was  beginning  to  have  a  faint  hope  that  the  scene 
would  end  in  the  discovery  that  he  was  the  rightful 
son  of  Lord  Kilpsindie.  With  an  anxious  face  he  sat 
in  the  comer  and  drank  in  eagerly  every  word  which 
fell  from  Raston's  lips.  Mrs  Jeal  maintained  her  self- 
imposed  silence. 

"  Mr  Tempest,"  said  Raston,  "  when  I  asked  you  if 
I  might  go  to  London,  I  did  not  tell  you  my  errand.  I 
tell  it  to  you  now.  It  was  to  see  the  man  known  as 
Pratt." 


A  Story  of  the  Past  259 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  the  vicar.  "  You  saw  that 
man !  " 

"  Two  days  ago.  He  wrote  asking  me  to  see  him, 
hinting  that  he  had  something  to  tell  about  the  cup." 

"  Which  he  stole,"  said  Kilspindie, 

"  No,  my  lord.  Pratt  did  not  steal  the  cup.  He 
took  the  blame  upon  himself,  so  as  to  clear  the  name 
of  my  friend  Haverleigh." 

Both  the  old  men  looked  at  Leo,  who  winced. 
''Are  you  sure  of  that?"  asked  the  vicar.  "Pratt 
wrote  to  Marton,  remember." 

"  To  take  the  blame  upon  himself.  Quite  so.  But 
he  was  not  guilty  for  all  that.  His  record  was  so 
black  when  jMarton  unmasked  him  that  he  thought  a 
crime  more  or  less  would  not  matter." 

"  But  why  should  he  shield  Haverleigh  ?  "  asked 
j\Ir  Tempest. 

Leo  started  forward.  He  saw  that  the  time  had 
come  for  him  to  speak  out.  ''  I  can  answer  that,"  he 
said.     "  Pratt  told  me  that  I  was  his  son." 

Tempest  uttered  an  exclamation.  *'  You  must  be 
mistaken,"  he  said ;  "  Airs  Gabriel  informed  me  that 
you  were  illegitimate." 

"That  would  not  have  made  any  difiference."  said 
Leo,  bitterly.  "  I  might  as  well  be  the  illegitimate  son 
of  Pratt  as  of  anyone  else.  At  a  matter  of  fact,  how- 
ever, he  told  me  that  I  w^as  born  in  wedlock.  His 
wife — my  mother — died,  and  he  placed  me  with  Mrs 
Gabriel  to  bring  up.  She  believed  that  I  was  a  name- 
less orphan,  and  what  she  told  you,  Mr  Tempest,  was 
true  so  far  as  she  knew.    Her  telling  was  none  the  less 


26o  The  Pagan's  Cup 

spiteful,  however.    It  was  that  which  made  you  unwill- 
ing that  I  should  marry  Sybil." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  vicar,  with  a  flush.  "  I  did  not  like 
to  think  that  a  daughter  of  mine  should  marry  a  name- 
less man." 

*'  And  you  visit  the  sins  of  the  parents  on  the  head 
of  their  innocent  offspring,"  said  Leo.  "  You  have 
not  treated  me  well,  Mr  Tempest.  You  thought  me 
guilty  of  theft;  scorned  me  because  I  was  nameless! 
Is  this  the  conduct  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel?  " 

The  grey  head  of  the  vicar  drooped.  "  I  admit  that 
I  have  been  wrong,  Leo,"  he  said  in  a  faltering  tone. 
"  You  have  vindicated  your  character.  I  ask  your 
pardon.  And  more,"  said  he,  when  Leo  grasped  his 
hand,  "  even  although  there  is  a  stain  on  your  birth — " 

"  No,"  said  Leo,  "  I  don't  want  you  to  bind  your- 
self to  anything.  Wait  till  this  mystery  is  cleared  up. 
At  present,  so  far  as  I  know,  I  am  the  son  of  a  crim- 
inal.   If  that  is  true,  I  should  refuse  to  marry  Sybil." 

Here  Mrs  Jeal  burst  out  into  a  taunting  laugh. 
Lord  Kilspindie  frowned  upon  her,  and  took  Leo's  dis- 
engaged hand.  The  vicar  held  the  other.  "  You  are 
a  good  man,  Haverleigh,"  said  his  lordship,  far  from 
suspecting  the  truth.  "  I  wish  I  had  you  for  a  son," 
and  Mrs  Jeal  laughed  again. 

When  quiet  was  restored,  Raston  went  on  with  his 
story.  "  First,"  he  said,  "  I  must  tell  you  how  I  re- 
covered the  cup.  I  went  up  and  met  Pratt.  As  I 
promised  not  to  deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  the  law, 
much  as  he  deserved  punishment,  he  spoke  to  me  freely 
and  I  was  with  him  three  hours.     I  do  not  know  if 


A  Story  of  the  Past  261 

I  was  right  in  letting  such  a  dangerous  criminal  es- 
cape," said  the  curate,  looking  round,  "  but  if  I  had 
given  information  to  the  police  I  should  never  have 
heard  the  truth  about  Leo,  nor  should  I  have  secured 
the  cup/' 

"  Then  I  am  not  his  son?  "    cried  Leo,  eagerly. 

"  No.  Pratt  gave  me  his  word  for  that.  Who  you 
are  you  shall  hear  presently."  Here  Raston  gave  a 
glance  at  Airs  Jeal,  who  was  moving  her  hands  rest- 
lessly and  seemed  to  be  ill  at  ease.  "  Meantime  I 
must  go  on  with  the  story  of  the  cup.  It  seemed  that 
Pratt  knew  the  pawnbroker  Penny,  and  having  learnt 
from  Mrs  Jeal's  story  that  he  had  the  cup,  he  went  to 
get  it  bade  and  to  learn  who  had  pawned  it." 

"  And  who  did  ?  "    asked  the  vicar,  sharply. 

Raston  gave  the  answer  he  least  expected.  "  Mrs 
Jeal  pawned  it,"  said  he. 

The  woman  sprang  to  her  feet  and  found  her  tongue. 
"  It  is  a  lie !  "  she  shouted,  furious  with  rage ;  then 
she  made  a  rush  for  the  door.  Lord  Kilspindie  put 
his  hand  on  her  shoulder  and  forced  her  back  into  the 
chair. 

"  I  am  beginning  to  suspect  the  truth,"  he  said 
sternly.     "  Sit  still  or  I  will  have  you  punished." 

She  scowled  and  relapsed  into  a  dogged  silence. 
Raston  went  on  to  tell  how  the  cup  had  been  stolen. 
"  It  seems  that  when  Pearl  Darry  was  ill,"  he  said, 
"  this  woman  watched  by  her  bed.  The  poor,  mad 
creature  was  delirious  and  raved  about  the  cup.  Mrs 
Jeal  persuaded  her  that  she  would  be  eternallv  pun- 
ished, what  for  Heaven  only  knows — " 


262  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  She  is  a  child  of  sin,"  groaned  Mrs  Jeal. 

"  She  is  as  pure  and  good  as  an  angel,"  cried  the 
curate,  frowning.  "It  is  you  who  are  the  evil  doer, 
Mrs  Jeal!  Well,  Mr  Tempest,  the  girl  thought  in  her 
half-delirious  state  that  she  would  test  the  goodness 
of  God.  She  proposed  to  take  the  cup  out  of  the 
chapel  and  place  it  on  an  altar  of  turf  which  she  had 
prepared  on  the  moor.  It  was  her  idea  that  if  God 
wished  to  save  her.  He  would  take  the  cup  up  to 
Heaven,  and  then  replace  it  at  a  later  date  on  the  altar. 
She,  therefore,  while  ]\Irs  Jeal  was  absent,  dressed 
herself  and  ran  out  of  the  house.  She  went  to  the 
house  of  old  Barker  the  sexton.  His  door  was  not 
locked — he  told  a  lie  about  that  to  save  himself — and 
she  knew  where  the  key  of  the  church  hung.  It  was 
in  her  hand  in  a  moment,  and  she  went  to  the  church 
sometime  about  ten  o'clock.  She  entered  and  took 
the  cup.  Then  she  replaced  the  key  on  its  nail  after 
1  clocking  the  door." 

"  One  moment,"  interrupted  Mr  Tempest ;  "  those 
scratches  on  the  lepers'  window — we  thought,  if  you 
remember,  that  the  robber  had  entered  that  way." 

"  I  shrewdly  suspect  that  old  Barker  made  those 
scratches  to  save  his  own  skin,"  said  Raston.  "  You 
had  better  ask  him."  And  it  may  here  be  mentioned 
that  the  vicar  did,  and  learned  that  what  Raston  said 
was  true.  The  old  sexton,  finding  the  cup  gone,  feared 
lest  he  might  be  accused  of  the  robbery,  and  so  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  making  marks  as  though  someone 
had  entered  at  a  window  which  his  fat  body  could  not 
possibly  have  squeezed  through.    It  was  a  clever  idea 


A  Story  of  the  Past  265 

and  misled  all.  But  old  Barker  was  punished  by 
being  sent  to  Portfront  after  he  had  confessed. 

"  It  was  when  Pearl  left  Barker's  cottage  with  the 
cup  that  Mrs  Jeal  met  her,"  went  on  the  curate.  "  She 
had  missed  her  out  of  hed,  and  thinking  that  the  mad 
girl  had  gone  to  the  chapel,  followed.  She  met  her 
at  the  door  of  the  cottage  and  saw  that  she  had  the 
cup.  It  was  then  that  the  idea  came  into  her  wicked 
head  to  steal  the  cup." 

"  It's  a  lie !  "    cried  Mrs  Jeal  again. 

"  It  is  what  you  told  Old  Penny,  any'how,  as  he  is 
prepared  to  swear  in  court,"  said  the  curate,  coolly. 
"  He  would  not  give  you  what  you  asked  for  the  cup 
until  you  told  him  where  you  got  it.  For  a  wonder, 
you  told  the  truth.  Yes,  Mrs  Jeal,  you  followed  Pearl 
on  to  the  moor  and  saw  her  set  the  cup  on  the  turf 
altar.  Waiting  till  she  got  back  to  your  cottage,  you 
took  the  cup  and  concealed  it  under  your  shawl.  You 
took  it  home,  and  found  the  girl  back  again  in  bed, 
very  ill  from  the  effects  of  exposure.  For  a  time  you 
nursed  her  while  the  hue  and  cry  was  being  made 
about  the  cup.  Then  you  made  the  excuse  that  your 
father  was  ill  and  went  to  London.  You  have  no 
father,  Mrs  Jeal,  and  Old  Penny,  in  answer  to  a  letter 
of  yours,  sent  the  wire.  You  told  him  you  had  some- 
thing for  him,  and  so  he  aided  you  with  your  plot. 
You  took  the  cup  to  London,  pawned  It  to  Old  Penny 
after  telling  him  the  story,  and  got  five  hundred 
pounds  for  it." 

"  I  did  not — I  did  not !  "  Mrs  Jeal  tried  again  to 
rise,  and  again  had  to  remain ;    Lord  Kilspindie  kept 


264  The  Pagan's  Cup 

his  heavy  grip  on  her  shoulder.  In  his  rage  at  her 
duphcity  he  could  have  slain  her,  but  he  spared  her 
for  the  moment  that  he  might  learn  the  truth.  After 
many  years  of  darkness  dawn  was  breaking,  Mrs 
Jeal  saw  that  the  end  was  in  sight  and  began  to  sob. 

"  Then,"  continued  Raston,  "  you  banked  the 
money  and  came  down  to  tell  that  wicked  lie  about 
Leo  Haverleigh.  You  know  that  he  was  never  near 
the  place — that  he  was  innocent  and  that  you  were 
guilty.  However,  Pratt  got  all  this  out  of  Old  Penny, 
and  then  gave  him  the  five  hundred  pounds  for  the 
cup.  He  took  it  to  his  own  place,  and  w^hen  I  was 
with  him  he  handed  it  to  me.'' 

"  Come,"  said  Kilspindie,  "  there  is  some  good  in 
the  man." 

"  He  has  to  make  reparation  to  you,  my  lord,"  said 
Raston,  solemnly,  "  for  he  is  this  woman's  husband, 
and  it  was  by  his  direction  that  your  son  was  stolen. 
Yes,"  here  the  curate  pointed  to  Leo,  "  and  there  is 
your  son." 

Leo  rose  slowly,  as  pale  as  a  corpse.  He  had  ex- 
pected this,  yet  when  it  came  the  thing  was  too  much 
for  him.  He  could  only  look  at  his  newly-found  father 
in  silence.  Lord  Kilspindie  gasped  and  he  too 
turned  pale.  Then  he  made  one  stride  forward,  and 
grasping  Leo's  hands  stared  into  his  face.  "  Yes,"  he 
muttered,  "  I  believe.  You  have  her — her — "  He 
turned  on  Mrs  Jeal.  "  Woman,  is  this  true  ?  "  he  de- 
manded. But  Mrs  Jeal,  with  a  cruel  smile  on  her  fat, 
puffy  face,  still  sat  silent.     "  I  could  strangle  you," 


A  Story  of  the  Past  265 

muttered  Lord  Kilspindie,  exasperated  by  her  ob- 
stinacy. 

"  I  can  make  her  spealv,"  said  Raston,  taking  an  en- 
velope out  of  his  pocket,  ''  and  here  is  the  means  of 
doing  so." 

Still  holding  Leo's  hand.  Lord  Kilspindie  looked  at 
the  curate.  Airs  Jeal  remained  quiet,  a  contemptu- 
ous smile  on  her  lips  and  her  eyes  on  the  floor.  Tem- 
pest, much  interested  in  this  strange  scene,  sat  wait- 
ing for  the  end.  It  would  seem  that  the  result  was  in 
Raston's  hands. 

*'  After  I  had  received  the  cup  and  had  heard  its 
story,"  the  curate  continued,  "  I  began  to  question 
Pratt  about  Leo.  At  Portfront  Leo  had  already  told 
me  of  the  claim  Pratt  had  made  to  being  his  father. 
I  did  not  believe  it,  for  I  know  Haverleigh's  upright 
nature  and  could  not  think  that  he  was  the  child  of 
such  a  bad  man.  At  first  Pratt  insisted  that  he  was 
the  father.  I  then  appealed  t©  his  better  instincts  and 
told  him  how  Leo  had  made  up  his  mind  to  give  up 
Miss  Tempest  rather  than  make  her  the  wife  of  a  man 
with  such  antecedents  as  his.  I  think  Pratt  really 
loves  you,  Leo,  for  after  a  time  he  yielded  to  my  en- 
treaties and  told  the  truth." 

"  I  am  sure  he  likes  me,"  said  Haverleigh,  quietly ; 
"  he  was  always  very  kind  to  me.  Bad  as  he  is,  I  at 
least  have  no  reason  to  complain  of  his  treatment." 

"  But  what  did  he  say  ? "  asked  Lord  Kilspindie, 
anxiously. 

"  I  shall  leave  Mrs  Jeal  to  tell.  She  can  repeat  to 
you  the  story  Pratt  told  me." 


266  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  I'll  not  say  a  word,"  muttered  the  woman, 
resolutely. 

"  I  can  compel  you !  "  replied  Raston,  sternly. 

"  Try !  "   was  Mrs  Jeal's  disdainful  retort. 

The  curate  turned  towards  Kilspindie.  "  Pratt's 
story  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  his  wife,  my  lord,  and 
on  several  points  he  referred  me  to  her.  I  told  him 
that  she  would  never  speak,  for  I  well  know  how  ob- 
stinate she  is.  Pratt  then  agreed  to  help  me,  '  for 
Leo's  sake,'  he  said.  He  wrote  out  something  and 
placed  what  he  had  written  in  this  envelope.  I  did  not 
see  what  it  was  and  I  do  not  know  now.  The  en- 
velope is  sealed  as  you  see.  Now,"  added  the  curate, 
looking  at  Mrs  Jeal,  who  was  beginning  to  show  signs 
of  uneasiness,  "  if  you  tell  the  story  of  how  you  stole 
the  child  and  prove  that  Mr  Haverleigh  is  really  Lord 
Morven,  I  will  hand  this  letter  to  you  with  the  seal 
unbroken.  If  you  refuse,  I  will  open  the  envelope 
now  and  act  on  the  contents.  Pratt  assured  me  that 
what  is  contained  herein  would  cost  you  much  more 
than  your  liberty !  " 

The  three  men  looked  at  the  woman.  Her  face 
was  livid,  and  the  perspiration  beaded  her  forehead. 
Twice  she  tried  to  speak,  but  her  mouth  opened  and 
shut  without  a  sound. 

"  Will  you  speak  ?  "  asked  Raston,  quietly. 

"  Give  it  to  me,"  she  muttered  in  a  husky  tone,  and 
stretching  out  her  hand  for  the  envelope  Raston  with- 
drew it  beyond  her  reach. 

"  Not  until  you  have  told  us  the  story,"  he  said. 

"  If  I  do,  will  you  give  me  the  letter  ?  " 


A  Story  of  the  Past  267 

"  Yes — with  the  seal  unbroken.  I  clo  not  know 
what  iniquity  you  have  been  guilty  of ;  but  we  are  all 
willing  not  to  know  so  long  as  you  inform  us  of  your 
minor  fault." 

"  I  have  your  promise  to  give  me  the  letter  as  it 
is?"  asked  Mrs  Jeal. 

"  Yes,"  said  Raston,  and  the  other  three  men 
echoed  his  response.  Mrs  Jeal  nodded,  well  satisfied, 
and  wiped  her  pale  face  with  the  end  of  her  shawl. 
She  then  took  a  key  out  of  her  pocket. 

"  Will  one  of  you  gentlemen  go  to  my  cottage," 
she  said,  "  and  open  the  third  drawer  in  the  chest  of 
drawers  in  my  bedroom  standing  opposite  to  the 
door?  There  you  will  find  a  parcel  wrapped  up  in 
brown  paper.     I  want  it  brought  here  immediately." 

"  Shall  I  go?"  said  Leo,  rising. 

"  No,"  said  Lord  Kilspindie.  "  I  have  you  and  I 
mean  to  keep  you.  ]\Ir  Tempest,  no  doubt,  has  a  ser- 
vant whom  he  can  trust." 

Tempest  nodded  and  touched  the  bell.  The  old 
butler,  who  had  been  with  the  vicar  for  over  twenty 
years,  appeared.  "  Take  this  key,"  said  his  master, 
handing  it  to  him.  "  Mrs  Jeal  will  give  you  direc- 
tions how  to  use  it.     Lose  no  time  in  coming  back." 

Mrs  Jeal  repeated  her  instructions  and  the  servant 
departed  on  his  errand.  Then  the  woman  rose  to  her 
feet  and  began  to  talk  with  an  assumption  of  courage 
which  would  have  been  ludicrous  had  it  not  been  so 
pitiful.  Still,  she  fought  well,  and  was  game  to  the 
last. 

"  You  have  got  the  better  of  me,"  she  said,  "  or, 


268  The  Pagan's  Cup 

rather,  that  brute  of  a  Tony  Angel  has  peacHed.  If 
he  had  held  his  tongue  I  could  have  defied  the  lot  of 
you.  As  it  is — "  She  shrugged  her  fat  shoulders  and 
paused.  "  Ask  me  what  questions  you  like,"  she 
said,  "  I  am  in  your  power.     I  must  reply." 

"  Is  this  my  son  ?  "  asked  Kilspindie,  his  hand  on 
Leo's  shoulder. 

"  Yes.    That  is  Lord  Morven !  " 

Leo  uttered  a  cry  and  looked  at  his  father  with 
moist  eyes.  The  revulsion  of  feeling  was  too  much  for 
Kilspindie,  and  he  sank  down  into  a  chair.  Leo  held 
his  hand,  and  there  was  silence  for  a  few  moments. 
"  I  am  thankful  to  God  that  he  has  spared  me  to  see 
my  son  again !  "  said  Kilspindie,  solemnly,  and  the 
vicar  added  a  solemn  "  Amen." 

"  And  thank  God  that  I  have  a  father  and  an  un- 
sullied name !  "  said  Leo,  almost  too  moved  to  speak. 
Nor  was  this  emotion  unmanly  on  the  part  of  father 
and  son.  The  least  sentimental  person  must  grant 
this  much. 

Kilspindie  remained  seated  in  his  chair  and  holding 
the  hand  of  his  newly-recovered  son.  Both  men  fixed 
their  eyes  on  Mrs  Jeal,  who  in  a  cold  and  unemotional 
way  continued  her  confession. 

"  I  was  brought  up  on  your  estate,  my  lord,"  she 
said,  "  and  there  I  met  with  Pratt — or,  rather,  with 
Tony  Angel.  He  came  on  a  visit  to  the  village  to 
get  away  from  the  police.  He  was  a  handsome  and 
fascinating  man  and  I  fell  in  love  with  him.  Whether 
he  loved  me  or  not  I  cannot  say.  At  all  events,  he 
pretended  to.     I  left  your  service  and  married  him. 


A  Story  of  the  Past  269 

We  went  to  London,  and  then  I  discovered  that  my 
husband  was  a  thief.  At  first  I  was  horrified.  In 
those  days,  my  lord,  I  was  not  the  hardened  sinner 
you  see  me  now.  But  after  a  time  Pratt — as  I  may  call 
him — made  me  as  bad  as  himself.  He  taught  me  to 
love  fine  things  and  comfort,  and  as  he  always  made 
plenty  of  money  by  stealing  I  had  a  gay  life.  Oh !  we 
had  fine  times  I  can  tell  you!     He — " 

*'  Go  on  with  your  story,  Mrs  Jeal,"  said  the  vicar, 
sternly. 

She  tossed  her  head,  but  obeyed.  "  After  a  time 
things  got  bad.  Pratt  was  so  well  known  to  the 
police  that  he  was  not  so  successful  as  he  had  been. 
I  used  to  tell  him  about  Kilspindie  Castle  and  the  cup. 
Pratt,  who  loved  beautiful  things,  wanted  to  get 
the  cup.  He  proposed  that  I  should  go  back  and  steal 
it.  I  was  already  known  in  the  castle,  so  there  would 
be  a  better  opportunity  for  me  to  get  it  than  himself. 
As  I  wanted  money  I  agreed,  and  I  came  back  to  the 
castle." 

"  Did  you  re-enter  my  service  in  order  to  steal  the 
cup?"  asked  Lord  Kilspindie. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs  Jeal,  defiantly,  "  you  had  plenty 
without  it.  I  entered  as  an  under-nursemaid,  and  as 
I  was  comfortable  I  thought  I  would  stay  for  a  while. 
Pratt  came  up  and  urged  me  to  steal  the  cup  at  once. 
I  refused,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  leave  my  good  situa- 
tion. Then  an  idea  came  into  his  head  that  if  I  could 
obtain  the  child  of  a  nobleman  he  could  hold  it  as  a 
hostage." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Raston. 


270  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  The  meaning  is  not  difficult,"  said  Mrs  Jeal,  cool- 
ly. "  Pratt  was  always  in  danger  of  being  taken  by 
the  police,  and  his  record  was  so  bad  that  he  would 
have  been  shown  no  mercy.  He  thought  if  he  had 
Lord  Kilspindie's  son,  that  when  he  got  into  trouble 
he  could  promise  to  restore  the  child  on  condition  that 
he  was  set  free." 

"  A  clever  idea,"  muttered  the  vicar. 

"  And  a  very  wild  one,"  said  his  lordship.  "What 
influence  could  I  bring  to  bear  towards  helping  a 
criminal  ? " 

"  What,  indeed  ?  "  sneered  Mrs  Jeal.  "  I  assured 
Pratt  that  your  lordship  had  no  power.  But  the  idea 
of  getting  the  child  as  a  hostage  fascinated  him,  and 
he  commanded  me  to  steal  the  boy.  For  a  time  I  re- 
fused. Then  the  head  nurse  died  and  another  woman 
was  set  over  my  head.  My  lady  treated  me  badly — she 
insulted  me;  she  showed  that  she  mistrusted  me.  I 
was  angry  and  I  determined  to  be  revenged.  I  was  re- 
venged by  obeying  Pratt.  I  took  the  cup  and  the 
child  and  went  away.    How  I — '' 

"  I  know  how  you  stole  both  the  child  and  the 
cup,"  said  Lord  Kilspindie. 

"  Very  good,  my  lord.  Well,  I  went  to  London  with 
Pratt.  He  pawned  the  cup,  and  on  the  money  we 
lived  for  a  time.  Then  he  insisted  that,  as  he  might 
some  day  have  to  restore  the  child — we  called  him 
Leo,"  said  Mrs  Jeal,  with  a  glance  at  the  young  man, 
"  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  be  brought  up  as 
a  gentleman.  He  knew  Mrs  Gabriel,  whom  he  had 
met  abroad.     He  had  some  power  over  her — " 


A  Story  of  the  Past  271 

"  And  what  is  the  power  ?  "  asked  Leo. 

Mrs  Jeal  shook  her  head.  "  That  has  nothing  to  do 
with  you  or  with  the  restoration  of  your  rights,  Lord 
Morven,"  she  said.  "  I  keep  that  secret  to  myself. 
Pratt  had  a  power  over  her  and  used  it.  He  brought 
the  child  to  her  and  said  he  was  a  natural  child.  He 
insisted  that  she  should  bring  him  up  as  the  son  of 
her  brother  who  had  just  died  abroad.  How  Pratt 
knew  this  I  do  not  know;  but  then  he  knew  every- 
thing. Well,  it  was  done,  and  Leo  was  established  at 
the  castle.     Mrs  Gabriel  brought  him  up." 

"  Yes/'  said  Leo,  bitterly,  "  she  brought  me  up." 
And  he  looked  back  on  the  long  life  of  petty  worry 
and  contemptible  tyranny  that  had  been  his.  "  I  know 
all  this.     But  yourself,  Mrs  Jeal  ?  " 

"  I  remained  with  Pratt.  I  was  only  too  glad  to 
get  rid  of  you.     I  hated  you  for  your  mother's  sake — " 

"  Stop  that !  "  cried  Lord  Kilspindie,  and  Mrs  Jeal 
dropped  a  mocking  curtsey. 

"  At  your  lordship's  service !  However,  I  found 
out  that  Pratt  was  treating  me  badly.  He  went  about 
with  other  women.  He  even  struck  me.  I  made  up 
my  mind  to  leave  him,  and  I  did.  I  went  from  one 
place  to  another,  and  finally  I  came  to  settle  in 
Colester." 

"  Why  did  you  come  her  ?  "  asked  the  vicar. 

"  Oh,  your  reverence  can  understand  that  I  wanted 
to  keep  an  eye  on  the  young  lord !  "  said  Mrs  Jeal, 
obsequiously.  "  He  was  my  property  as  well  as 
Pratt's,  and  when  the  day  came  to  give  him  up  to 
his  father  I  wanted  my  share  of  the  spoil," 


2  72  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  You  shall  have  nothing,"  said  Lord  Kilspindie, 
sternly.  "  You  ought  to  be  glad  that  I  do  not  hand 
you  over  to  the  police !  " 

She  scowled  and  would  have  become  vituperative, 
but  Raston  moved  the  hand  which  held  the  envelope 
significantly.  At  once  a  frightened  look  came  over 
her  face,  and  she  sat  down.  "  I  stayed  here,"  she 
continued  feebly,  all  the  strength  having  gone  out  of 
her,  "  and  saved  Pearl  Darry  from  her  father.  When 
Pratt  came  I  was  afraid;  I  was  always  afraid  of 
Pratt.  No  one  knows  but  myself  what  a  devil  he  is. 
He  told  me  to  hold  my  tongue,  and  I  was  too  fright- 
ened of  him  to  disobey.  Now  I'll  go  away  from  here 
with  the  Hales,  since  Miss  Sybil  has  promised  to 
look  after  Pearl.  I  want  to  put  the  seas  between 
myself  and  that  man.  He  terrifies  me,  and  I  am  not 
a  woman  easily  terrified." 

"  Why  did  you  tell  that  lie  about  my  having  pawned 
the  cup  ?  "  asked  Leo. 

Mrs  Jeal  shook  her  head.  "  I  can  say  no  more," 
she  said.  Leo  would  have  insisted,  but  at  that  mo- 
ment the  servant  entered  with  the  parcel  of  which  the 
woman  had  spoken.  When  he  went  out  Mrs  Jeal 
opened  this,  and  spread  out  the  contents  on  the  table. 

"  Here  are  the  evidences  your  lordship  wished  for," 
she  said,  glancing  at  Lord  Kilspindie.  "  This  is  the 
dress  Lord  Morven  wore  when  I  took  him  away,  his 
name  is  marked — the  underclothing  is  also  marked. 
The  coral  necklace  which  your  lordship  may  perhaps 
recognise  as  an  heirloom.  And  your  lordship  may 
perhaps  remember  some  mark  by  which  Lord  Morven 


A  Story  of  the  Past  273 

can  be  recognised.  There  is  a  mark,  if  your  lordship 
remembers." 

Kilspindie  drew  his  hand  across  his  forehead  and 
thought.  "  My  wife  showed  me  the  child  one  day 
and  pointed  out  the  mark.  Yes,  three  moles  in  a  line 
just  above  the  elbow  of  the  left  arm." 

Mrs  Jeal  nodded,  and  Leo,  hastily  stripping  off  his 
coat,  drew  up  his  sleeve  to  show  the  three  moles  in 
question.  "  But  I  don't  need  that  to  assure  me  that 
you  are  my  son,"  said  the  old  nobleman ;  "  you  have 
the  eyes  of  your  mother.  Yes;  you  are  my  son  and 
Lord  Morven !  " 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Leo,"  said  Raston,  shaking 
his  friend's  hand. 

"  And  I  have  to  thank  you  with  all  my  heart,"  said 
the  new  Lord  Morven,  "  for  if  it  had  not  been  for  you 
this  would  never  have  been  discovered.  I  should  like 
to  know,  however,  how  it  was  that  Pratt  claimed  me 
as  a  son?  " 

"  That  was  Mrs  Gabriel's  fault,"  said  Raston.  "  She 
told  him  that  you  intended  to  denounce  him  to  the 
poHce.  When  you  discovered  him  at  the  castle  on 
that  night  he  was  afraid  lest  you  might  do  so,  there- 
fore he  said  you  were  his  son,  so  as  to  put  such  a 
betrayal  out  of  your  power." 

"  As  if  I  would  ever  have  betrayed  him !  "  said  Leo. 
*'  There  was  good  in  Pratt." 

"  There  is  110  good  in  him,"  cried  Mrs  Jeal,  fiercely. 
"  How  dare  you  say  so  ?  He  is  a  bad  and  wicked  man. 
I  hate  him  with  all  my  soul !  But  never  will  I  set 
eyes  on  him  again.     He  might  kill  me  as  he  has  often 


2  74  The  Pagan's  Cup 

threatened  to  do.  But  I  have  told  all ;  I  have  proved 
your  identity,  Lord  Morven,  and  you  have  the  cup, 
my  Lord  Kilspindie.  The — the — letter — "  She  hesi- 
tated. Those  present  looked  at  one  another.  "  Should 
this  dangerous  woman  go  free  to  be  a  pest  to  society  ?  " 
said  the  vicar,  sternly. 

"  You  promised,"  said  Mrs  Jeal,  terrified  and  white 
to  the  lips. 

Leo  looked  at  her  for  a  moment,  then  took  the  let- 
ter from  the  hands  of  Raston,  and  gave  it  to  her. 
"  We  must  keep  our  word,"  he  said. 

"  And  you  must  leave  this  place  at  once,"  said  Mr 
Tempest,  austerely. 

But  Mrs  Jeal  was  paying  no  attention  to  them. 
She  had  torn  open  the  letter,  and  was  reading  the  few 
lines  it  contained.  "  I  thought  so,"  she  muttered,  with 
a  black  look.  '*  I  wish  I  could  kill  him."  She  crushed 
up  the  paper  and  put  it  into  her  pocket  again.  Then 
she  walked  to  the  door.  "  Good-day,  my  Lord  ]\Ior- 
ven,  and  good-bye.  Lord  Kilspindie.  You  are  poor 
creatures,  both  of  you.  Your  reverence  will  now  be 
glad  to  sell  your  daughter  for  a  title !  As  to  you,  Mr 
Raston,  the  girl  you  love  would  have  been  sold  to  my 
husband  by  her  mother.  I  wish  you  joy,  all  you  men 
fools."  And  with  a  mocking  curtsey  Mrs  Jeal  walked 
out  of  the  room." 

"  Let  her  go.  We  know  the  truth,"  said  Lord  Kil- 
spindie.    "  Leo !  " 

But  Leo,  with  a  nod,  was  making  for  the  door.  "  I 
must  tell  Sybil,"  he  said,  and  vanished. 

Half-an-hour  later  the  vicar  and  his  father  went  in 


A  Story  of  the  Past  275 

search  of  him.  They  found  him  sitting  hand  in  hand 
with  Sybil  in  the  drawing-room.  "  It's  really  won- 
derful, wonderful !  "  she  was  saying. 

"  And  your  father  will  let  me  mafry  you  now, 
darling,"  said  Leo. 

"  If  you  will  grant  him  your  pardon,"  said  the  voice 
of  Mr  Tempest. 

Leo  shook  the  vicar's  hand,  kissed  Sybil,  and  Kil- 
spindie  smiled,  well-pleased. 


CHAPTER     XX 

MRS     Gabriel's     secret 

Mrs  J  e  a  l  was  not  pleased.  She  was  a  woman  who 
liked  to  make  mischief,  and  preferred  to  leave  sor- 
row rather  than  joy  behind  her.  In  her  time  she  had 
caused  a  good  deal  of  misery,  and  she  had  always  re- 
joiced over  it.  But  now  that  she  had  been  forced  to 
undo  the  evil  she  had  committed,  her  heart  ached.  Bad 
as  Pratt  was,  his  wife  was  worse,  and  if  he  had  in- 
deed killed  her,  as  he  had  threatened,  he  would  have 
been  doing  a  service  to  mankind.  Mrs  Jeal  was  a 
noxious  snake  who  should  have  been  killed  without 
pity. 

On  leaving  the  Vicarage  she  went  home  at  once  and 
found  the  cottage  empty,  as  Pearl  had  not  yet  re- 
turned. Mrs  Jeal  brought  out  the  letter  and  again 
read  it.  Then  she  turned  white  and  shivered;  finally 
she  put  it  into  the  fire,  and  watched  it  burn  to  black 
ashes.  Afterwards  she  filled  herself  a  glass  of  brandy 
and  drank  it  neat.  Yet  she  was  an  abstemious  wo- 
man as  a  rule.  There  must  have  been  something  very 
terrible  in  that  letter  to  make  her  take  to  strong  drink. 
And  what  was  in  it  no  one  in  Colester  ever  found  out. 
Having  burned  it,  Mrs  Jeal  put  it  out  of  her  mind  as 
well    as    she    was    able.     Yet    often    afterwards    she 


Mrs  Gabriel's  Secret  277 

shivered  to  think  of  what  would  have  happened  had  it 
been  opened  in  the  Vicarage  library.  "  A  narrow 
shave  that,"  muttered  IMrs  Jeal. 

Shortly,  when  she  had  recovered  herself  in  some 
measure.  Pearl  danced  into  the  room.  She  was  now 
quite  her  old  happy  self.  The  restoration  of  the  cup 
made  her  believe  that  God  had  forgiven  her,  and 
that  the  Alaster  believed  her  worthy  to  be  the  guardian 
of  the  Holy  Grail.  Raston  had  arranged  the  matter 
in  order  to  save  her  from  further  misery.  Early  on 
Sunday  morning  he  had  taken  the  cup  across  the 
moor  and  had  placed  it  on  the  turf  altar,  knowing  that 
there  Pearl,  as  was  her  custom,  would  come  and  seek 
it.  He  had  not  anticipated  such  a  dramatic  scene  as 
had  taken  place  in  the  chapel.  Pearl  believed  in  her 
own  weak  mind  that  the  jMaster  had  brought  the  cup 
down  again  from  Heaven.  She  was  therefore  glad 
and  merry,  and  her  singing  and  dancing  annoyed  Mrs 
Jeal. 

"  Keep  quiet,  you  minx!  "  she  cried  savagely,  "or 
I'll  have  you  shut  up.  Where  have  you  been  after 
making  an  exhibition  of  yourself  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  looking  at  the  cup,"  said  Pearl,  gaily. 
"  It  is  on  the  altar.  I  am  pleased  the  Master  has 
given  it  again  into  my  charge.  He  has  forgiven  me, 
and  some  day  I  shall  be  with  Him  in  Paradise." 

It  was  in  Airs  Jeal's  wicked  mind  to  tell  the  truth  to 
the  girl.  But  she  knew  that  Pearl  would  not  accept 
the  explanation.  Besides,  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
even  Mrs  Jeal  had  some  compunction  in  making  the 
girl  miserable.     The  woman  was  evil  to  the  core,  but 


278  The  Pagan's  Cup 

she  must  have  had  some  good  in  her.  Therefore  she 
held  her  tongue  on  the  subject  of  the  cup. 

"Where  were  you  so  early  this  morning?"  she 
asked.     "  I  found  your  bed  empty  at  six  o'clock." 

"  I  went  to  the  altar  to  find  the  cup  brought  down 
by  the  dear  Master,"  replied  Pearl,  and  I  was  watch- 
ing Sir  Frank  Hale  and  his  sister  going  away.  They 
drove  with  two  horses  and  many  boxes.     I  did  not — " 

Mrs  Jeal  jumped  up  and  seized  Pearl's  arm.  "  What 
do  you  mean  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Has  Sir  Frank  Hale 
gone  ?  " 

"  And  his  sister,"  said  Pearl,  twisting  away  with  a 
frightened  face.  "  They  have  left  Colester  and  gone 
away — away,  oh,  far  away!     Oh!    Oh!    what  are — " 

"  Hold  your  tongue,"  said  Mrs  Jeal,  thrusting  her 
into  a  chair,  "  and  sit  you  there  till  I  come  back." 
She  hurriedly  put  on  her  bonnet  and  shawl.  "  If  you 
stir  ril  kill  you,"  and  she  hurried  out  of  the  house. 

Pearl's  news  was  true.  There  was  no  one  in  the 
Hale's  house  save  an  old  woman  who  was  to  act  as 
caretaker.  She  explained  that  Sir  Frank  and  his  sis- 
ter had  left  early  that  morning,  and  by  this  time  were 
on  their  way  to  London,  whence  they  departed  in  a 
few  days  for  the  Continent. 

"Did  they  leave  no  message  for  me?"  asked  Mrs 
Jeal,  her  face  growing  black  as  she  clenched  her  hand. 

"  No ;  why  should  they  ?  "  asked  the  crone,  con- 
temptuously. "  What  have  fine  folks  like  them  to  do 
with  a  woman  like  you  ?  " 

"  I'll  slap  your  face  if  you  talk  to  me  like  that," 
raged  Mrs  Jeal,  her  worst  nature  coming  uppermost. 


Mrs  Gabriel's  Secret  279 

"  I  have  influence  with  your  master.  I  can  have  you 
turned  away." 

"  No,  you  can't,"  replied  the  other  hag.  "  Why 
I  heard  Sir  Frank  say  how  glad  he  was  to  get  away 
without  seeing  you.  He  called  you  a  witch.  He! 
He!" 

"He  did,  did  he?"  muttered  Mrs  Jeal,  furiously. 
"  Now  just  you — "  She  was  going  on  to  threaten  the 
caretaker  when  she  found  the  door  banged  in  her  face 
and  heard  the  mocking  laughter  of  the  old  woman 
behind  it. 

Treated  thus  scornfully,  Airs  Jeal  stamped  and  raged 
like  one  possessed.  "  Not  a  penny,"  she  muttered, 
"  and  he  promised — ugh,  the  miser — the  beast !  I'll 
be  even  with  him.  There's  the  money  for  the  cup. 
I  can  follow.  I  can — but  I  want  more.  Now 
that  I  have  given  up  my  secret"' — her  face  grew  dark 
as  she  thought  of  the  burnt  letter — "  I  shall  be  poor. 
Ha !  "  She  stopped,  and  biting  her  finger  looked  to- 
wards the  castle.  "  I  can  make  her  pay.  This  eve- 
ning, then.  It  will  be  worth  more  than  the  cup.  One 
secret  is  of  no  use.     But  I  have  another — another." 

She  shook  her  fist  at  the  house  of  Sir  Frank,  said 
something  about  him  that  was  not  exactly  a  bless- 
ing, then  returned  home  with  her  mind  made  up.  She 
wished  to  leave  Colester,  which  was  now  too  hot  for 
her.  As  Sybil  would  look  after  Pearl,  there  would  be 
no  difficulty  in  that  quarter.  She  had  saved  money, 
and  with  what  she  had  got  from  pawning  the  cup  she 
was  fairly  v/ell  off  for  her  station  in  life.  But  Mrs 
Jeal  was  greedy  and  wanted  more.     Mrs  Gabriel  v/as 


28o  The  Pagan's  Cup 

to  be  the  milch  cow  this  time.  Thus  it  came  about 
that  Mrs  Gabriel  was  informed  that  evening  that  Mrs 
Jeal  wished  to  see  her  at  once  on  important  business. 

The  underlying  insolence  of  the  message  annoyed 
Mrs  Gabriel,  who  always  prided  herself  on  keeping  the 
lower  orders  in  what  she  called  their  proper  place, 
which  was  under  her  heel.  And  Mrs  Gabriel  was  in 
no  mood  to  be  merciful  to  insolence.  Some  kind  friend 
had  informed  her  of  the  discovery  of  Leo's  true  posi- 
tion. She  was  savagely  angry.  On  account  of  Pratt 
she  had  hated  the  young  man,  and  later  on,  when  he 
came  to  defy  her,  she  had  disliked  him  on  his  own  ac- 
count. That  he  should  have  a  title,  and  that  he  should 
marry  Sybil  Tempest !  These  things  were  all  gall 
and  bitterness  to  the  haughty  woman.  She  wanted 
Leo  to  be  her  slave,  to  punish  him  for  Pratt's  misde- 
meanours. But  her  slave  had  escaped,  and  she  could 
do  nothing  save  sit  in  the  empty  room,  eating  out  her 
heart  in  the  bitterness  of  impotent  anger.  She  could 
do  nothing.  Leo  was  gone ;  Pratt  was  gone,  and  she 
Avas  left  a  lonely  woman.  She  had  not  even  the  com- 
fort of  feeling  that  she  could  revenge  herself. 

Feeling  in  this  mood,  she  was  not  unwilling  to  see 
Mrs  Jeal.  Here,  at  least,  was  someone  on  whom 
she  could  vent  her  rage.  With  an  imperious  gesture 
she  ordered  the  woman  to  be  admitted,  and  received 
her  with  a  stormy  brow.  Mrs  Jeal  smiled.  She  knew 
that  she  had  the  upper  hand,  and  was  not  to  be  in- 
timidated by  stormy  looks.  Waiting  till  the  servant 
had  departed  and  the  door  was  closed,  she  introduced 
herself. 


Mrs  Gabriel's  Secret 


281 


"  I  have  to  speak  to  you  on  important  business,  my 
lady,"  she  said,  with  assumed  meekness,  and  address- 
ing Mrs  Gabriel  by  a  title  to  which  she  laid  no  claim. 
This  was  done  to  accentuate  the  later  part  of  the  in- 
terview. j\Irs  Jeal  was  quite  as  well  prepared  as  was 
Mrs  Gabriel  to  make  herself  disagreeable.  She  also 
was  out  of  tune. 

"  What  business  can  a  woman  like  you  have  with 
me?"  demanded  Mrs  Gabriel,  with  scorn,  and  put  up 
a  lorgnette  to  freeze  Airs  Jeal  with  a  look. 

But  ^Irs  Jeal  had  borne  the  looks  of  even  greater 
ladies  than  Mrs  Gabriel.  '*  It  is  strange,  is  it  not, 
my  lady  ?  "  she  sniggered ;  "  but  I  have  something  to 
talk  about  which  will  interest  your  ladyship  very 
much." 

"  Indeed !  "  ]\Irs  Gabriel  looked  more  scornful  than 
ever.  "  And  I  believe  you  have  to  do  with  this 
precious  discovery^  ?  " 

"  I  have,  my  lady.  I\Ir  Haverleigh  is  now  Lord 
Morven.  I  proved  his  right  to  the  title.  You  see, 
my  lady,  I  was  a  nurse  at  Kilspindie  Castle,  and  I 
stole  his  lordship  when  a  child." 

"  How  dare  you  speak  to  me  like  this  ?  "  cried  Airs 
Gabriel.  "  Do  you  not  know  that  I  can  have  you 
arrested  for  such  an  admission?" 

"  Oh,  no ;  you  cannot,  my  lady,"  retorted  Airs  Jeal, 
coolly ;  "  only  Lord  Kilspindie  can  do  that,  and  he  has 
let  me  go  free." 

"  Then  you  leave  this  place,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel, 
haughtily.  "  I'll  have  no  one  in  Colester  likely  to 
corrupt  the  morals  of  the  people." 


282  The  Pagan's  Cup 

"  Ah,  you  have  great  power  here,  my  lady — great 
power,"  mocked  Mrs  Jeal. 

Mrs  Gabriel's  blood  grew  cold  as  she  saw  the  look 
in  the  woman's  eye.  "  I  don't  understand  you.  Leave 
the  room  and  the  place,"  she  said. 

"  All  in  good  time,  my  lady,"  replied  Mrs  Jeal, 
calmly,  and  took  a  seat.  As  this  was  more  than  Mrs 
Gabriel  could  bear,  she  rose. 

"  You  infamous  creature !  "  she  cried  furiously. 
"  Out  of  my  house,  or  I'll  have  you  thrown  out  by 
my  servants." 

"  My  house,  my  servants,  my  estates !  "  sneered  Mrs 
Jeal,  keeping  an  eye  on  her  victim.  "  Are  you  sure 
you  can  talk  like  that,  my  lady  ?  " 

"  I  repeat  I  don't  understand  you,"  stammered  Mrs 
Gabriel,  sitting  down.  She  was  beginning  to  be 
afraid.  Mrs  Jeal  would  not  dare  to  speak  so  unless 
she  possessed  some  information  dangerous  to  the  lady 
of  the  castle. 

"  I  shall  leave  the  parish  to-morrow,"  went  on  Mrs 
Jeal,  coolly.  "  I  have  no  wish  to  remain.  Miss  Tem- 
pest will  take  charge  of  Pearl,  and — " 

"  What  have  I  to  do  with  all  this  ? "  said  Mrs 
Gabriel,  sitting  up. 

"  This  much :  I  want  your  ladyship  to  give  me  a 
thousand  pounds." 

"  Ah !  I  thought  so.  Your  mission  here  is  one  of 
blackmail?" 

Mrs  Jeal  shrugged  her  plump  shoulders.  "  Some 
people  would  call  it  that,"  she  said,  dropping  the 
courtesy  title ;  "  and  as  you  have  paid  blackm.ail  to 


Mrs  Gabriel's  Secret  283 

Pratt  all  these  years,  I  don't  see  why  you  should  not 
give  me  a  thousand  pounds  to  get  rid  of  me." 

"  Pratt !  "  Mrs  Gabriel  could  hardly  speak.  "  What 
do  you  know  ? — " 

"  I  know  that  Pratt  was  married  to  you  in  Switzer- 
land when  you  were  Miss  Haverleigh,  and  that  you 
afterwards  married  Mr  Gabriel.  The  property  was 
left  by  ]\Ir  Gabriel  to — '  my  zi'ifc'  Those  were  the 
words  used  in  the  will.  And  you,  I\Iiss  Haverleigh, 
were  never  Mr  Gabriel's  wife." 

"  It  is  not  true,"  muttered  Mrs  Gabriel,  her  lips 
quivering. 

"  It  is  true ;  you  know  it  is !  "  said  the  other  wo- 
man. "  A  word  from  Pratt,  and  you  would  have 
been  turned  out  of  possession  here.  He  held  his 
tongue  so  long  as  you  took  the  child  and  brought  him 
up.  I  have  held  my  tongue  also,  because  I  was 
afraid  of  Pratt.  But  now  he  has  told  my  secret  about 
Lord  Morven,  I  want  money  on  my  own  account,  so 
as  to  get  away  from  him  across  the  seas." 

Mrs  Gabriel  drummed  on  the  table.  She  saw  that 
this  woman  was  too  much  for  her.  "  What  you  say 
is  perfectly  true,"  she  said.  "  I  met  Pratt  in  Switzer- 
land when  I  was  a  young  girl.  We  were  married  in 
Geneva,  and  I  afterwards  found  out  what  a  brute  he 
was.  We  parted.  Afterwards  I  heard  that  he  was 
dead,  and  regarded  myself  as  free  to  marr}-  Gabriel." 

"  Oh,  that  was  one  of  Pratt's  jokes,"  said  ]\Irs 
Jeal,  easily.  "  He  was  always  a  merry  sort  of  brute. 
But,  you  see,  I  can  turn  you  out." 

"  Not  without  Pratt's  aid,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel,  fierce- 


284  The  Pagan's  Cup 

ly.  "I  won't  give  up  the  property  to  go  to  the  Crown ! 
I  love  power,  and  I  intend  to  keep  what  I  have.  Pratt 
made  me  take  that  child,  and  lie  about  him.  He  made 
me  introduce  him  to  Colester  society,  and  for  years 
he  has  taken  money  from  me.  After  doing  all  this,  do 
you  think  I'll  give  it  up?     No;  I'll  fight!  " 

Mrs  Jeal  laughed  unpleasantly.  "  I  can  put  a  wea- 
pon into  your  hand  to  fight  with,"  she  said ;  "  that  is, 
if  you  give  me  a  thousand  pounds." 

"  What  do  you  mean  "  panted  Mrs  Gabriel,  throw- 
ing herself  forward  and  seizing  Mrs  Jeal  by  the 
shoulders.     "  Can  you  ? — will  you  ? — " 

"  If  you  give  me  a  thousand  pounds,"  replied  the 
other  woman,  quite  unmoved,  and  looking  up  with  her 
wicked  eyes  into  Mrs  Gabriel's  agitated  face. 

"  What  do  you  know  ?  Quick — tell  me !  "  Mrs 
Gabriel  shook  her. 

"  Don't  shake  me,"  said  Mrs  Jeal,  tartly,  twisting 
herself  free.  "  If  you  want  to  knov/  my  secret,  I'll 
tell  it  to  you — I  am  Pratt's  lawful  wife." 

Mrs  Gabriel  put  her  hand  to  her  forehead,  and  reeled 
to  the  end  of  the  room.  "  Wife — wife !  "  she  muttered. 
"  Then  I  am  not—" 

"  You  are  not  his  wife,"  finished  Mrs  Jeal,  cooly. 
"  You  never  were  his  wife,  seeing  he  was  married  to 
me  before  he  met  you.  You  are  Mrs  Gabriel,  the 
widow  of  John  Gabriel,  and  the  possessor  of  this 
property." 

"  Can  you — can  you  prove  this  ?  "  asked  the  other 
woman,  gasping. 

*'  I'll  give  you  my  marriage  certificate  for  a  thous- 


Mrs  Gabriel's  Secret  285 

and  pounds,"  said  Mrs  Jeal.  '*  I  don't  want  it.  I've 
had  enough  of  Pratt.  Then  you  can  see  the  church 
where  we  were  married,  and  search  the  register.  Oh, 
it's  all  right." 

"  Give  me  the  certificate,"  Mrs  Gabriel  stretched  out 
her  hand  eagerly. 

"  Not  without  the  thousand  pounds,"  said  Mrs  Jeal, 
resolutely. 

"'  I'll  give  you  a  cheque,"  said  Mrs  Gabriel,  hurrying 
to  a  writing-desk. 

Mrs  Jeal  shook  her  head.  "Won't  do!"  she  re- 
marked. "  I've  had  to  do  with  ladies  before.  You 
might  stop  that  cheque  when  I  had  given  you  what 
you  wanted.  No.  Come  to  the  bank;  give  me  the 
money  in  notes,  and  I'll  place  the  certificate  in  your 
hands." 

"  We  can't  go  to  the  bank  to-night,"  said  Mrs 
Gabriel,  frowning. 

"  Oh !  I  can  wait  till  to-morrow,"  replied  Mrs  Jeal, 
coolly. 

Mrs  Gabriel  lost  her  temper  and  stamped  her  foot. 
"  Give  me  that  certificate,  or  I'll  have  you  arrested." 

"  Oh !  So  you  want  me  to  tell  my  story  in  court, 
my  lady." 

"You  dare  to!" 

"  Then  give  me  the  thousand  pounds."  Mrs  Jeal 
was  beginning  to  lose  her  temper.  "  Here's  a  coil 
about  a  trifle,"  she  said  angrily ;  "  instead  of  asking 
you  for  blackmail,  as  I  could  have  done,  I  offer  to  give 
you  freedom.     And  you  won't  pay  for  it." 

"  I  will.    Here's  a  cheque.    Come  with  me  to  the 


286  The  Pagan's  Cup 

bank  at  Portfront  to-morrow,  and  you  can  cash  it  in 
my  presence.     The  certificate — " 

"  Will  be  given  to  you  when  the  notes  are  in  my 
hand.  You  can  take  me  to  Portfront  with  my  boxes, 
as  I  then  can  catch  the  afternoon  steamer  to  London. 
I  have  given  up  my  cottage,  and  sold  my  furniture, 
and  packed  my  things.  To-morrow  I'll  take  Pearl  to 
Miss  Tempest,  and  then  we  can  drive  to  the  bank." 

"  You  insolent  woman !  "  raged  Mrs  Gabriel,  but 
she  was  obliged  to  yield.  For  once  in  her  life  she 
had  met  a  person  of  her  own  sex  who  had  as  bad  a 
temper  as  herself.  The  two  women  had  a  royal  battle, 
but  in  the  end  victory  declared  itself  on  the  side  of 
Mrs  Jeal,  and  she  departed  in  triumph. 

The  next  morning  Sybil  was  informed  that  IMrs 
Jeal  and  Pearl  were  waiting  to  see  her.  Guessing  the 
woman's  errand,  Miss  Tempest  descended.  Mrs  Jeal, 
perfectly  respectful,  dropped  a  curtsey. 

"  I've  brought  you  Pearl,  my  lady,"  she  said. 

"  I  am  not  '  my  lady,' "  said  Sybil,  coldly. 

"  You  soon  will  be,"  smirked  Mrs  Jeal,  "  Lady 
Morven.  Well,  I  don't  grudge  it  to  you.  You're  not 
so  bad  as  some.     Here's  Pearl." 

Sybil  took  the  hand  of  the  poor  creature,  who  was 
shedding  tears  at  the  thought  of  losing  Mrs  Jeal. 
"  Don't  cry,  Pearl,  you  will  be  quite  happy  with  me. 
Remember  you  have  to  look  after  the  cup."  Whereat 
Pearl  clapped  her  hands  and  was  joyful  again. 

"  I  shan't  want  you  any  more,"  said  Pearl  to  Mrs 
Jeal ;  "  the  Master  has  given  me  the  cup  to  look  after, 
and  you  are  too  wicked  to  come  near  me." 


Mrs  Gabriel's  Secret  287 

Mrs  Jeal  winced,  and  looked  down.  "  Here's  grat- 
itude," she  sighed.  "  I've  loved  but  one  thing  in  my 
life,  and  it  turns  against  me.  Well,  Pearl,  I  hope  you 
will  be  happy.  Good-bye,"  She  paused,  and  then 
went  on.  "  And,  my  lady,  I  would  like  to  tell  you  the 
reason  I  told  that  lie  about  Lord  Morven  having 
pawned  the  cup.  It  was  Sir  Frank  Hale  made  me  do 
it." 

"  Sir  Frank !  "  echoed  Sybil  in  amazement.  "  Why 
should  he?" 

"  It  was  partly  your  fault,  miss,"  said  Mrs  Jeal, 
coolly ;  "  he  loved  you,  and  he  loved  his  sister.  If 
Lord  Morven  had  married  Miss  Edith,  and  you  had 
married  Sir  Frank,  all  would  have  been  well.  But  on 
that  night  I  brought  back  the  cup  he  saw  me,  and  got 
the  truth  out  of  me.  There  he  used  me  for  his  own 
ends,  so  as  to  get  the  blame  laid  on  Mr  Haverleigh." 

"  How  wicked  of  him !  "  said  Sybil,  angrily. 

Mrs  Jeal  laughed.  "  It  was  his  way,  my  lady.  But 
he  has  gone  away,  and  will  not  trouble  you  again. 
Neither  shall  I.     Good-bye,  my  lady.     Pearl  ?  " 

But  Pearl  turned  away  like  a  cross  child,  Mrs  Jeal 
had  to  go  without  a  farewell  kiss,  and  her  wicked  na- 
ture felt  the  slight.  However,  she  controlled  her  emo- 
tion, and  went  off  to  Portfront  with  Mrs  Gabriel. 
There  the  cheque  was  cashed,  and  Mrs  Jeal  became 
possessed  of  a  thousand  pounds  in  Bank  of  England 
notes — she  would  take  no  other. 

"And  there's  the  certificate,"  she  said  to  Mrs 
Gabriel. 

"  Thank  God !  "  cried  that  lady,  seizing  it,  "  now; 


/88  The  Pagan's  Cup 

I'm  free  of  that  man.  If  he  comes  to  Colester  again 
I'll  put  him  in  gaol.  And  you,  hussey,  I'll  have  you 
ducked." 

"  I  said  you  would  talk  like  that,"  jeered  Mrs  Jeal. 
"  A  lucky  thing  I  have  the  notes.  Good-day,  Miss 
Haverleigh !  "  And  with  this  last  insulting  speech, 
which  she  knew  was  untrue,  Mrs  Jeal  went  away. 
What  became  of  her  no  one  ever  heard.  But  crea- 
tures like  Mrs  Jeal  always  fall  on  their  feet  like  cats, 
perhaps  because  they  have  so  much  of  the  cat  nature 
in  them.  Mrs  Gabriel,  rejoicing  in  her  freedom,  re- 
turned to  Colester,  and  became  more  domineering  than 
ever.  Whether  Pratt  guessed  that  his  wife  would 
tell  her  the  truth,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  But  he  never 
came  near  Mrs  Gabriel  again,  nor  did  he  write  to  her. 
If  he  had,  she  would  have  set  to  work  to  trace  him  out 
and  have  him  arrested.  With  the  certificate  of  mar- 
riage it  was  easy  for  Mrs  Gabriel  to  prove  that  she 
had  been  deceived  by  a  villain,  and  she  would  have 
had  no  hesitation  in  making  the  affair  public.  Pratt 
knew  this,  and  knew  her  savage  nature.  He  there- 
fore kept  away,  and  JMrs  Gabriel,  unrestrained  by  any 
fear,  became  more  of  a  tyrant  than  ever. 

She  refused  to  come  to  Leo's  wedding,  or  even  to 
see  him,  intimating  to  Sybil,  who  called  upon  her 
to  entreat  her  to  be  reconciled  to  the  new  Lord  Mor- 
ven,  that  she  hated  both  of  them.  Mrs  Gabriel  went 
away  to  London  for  six  months,  and  amused  herself 
by  hunting  for  Pratt.  In  the  meantime,  Lord  IMor- 
ven  and  Sybil  were  married.  Also  Raston  was  united 
to  his  Peggy  on  the  same  day — Mrs  Bathurst  bore  up 


Mrs  Gabriel's  Secret  289 

heroically.  Only  she  regretted  that  she  had  not 
known  of  Leo's  true  parentage.  He  might  have  mar- 
ried Peggy.  '*  She  would  grace  a  title,"  said  Mrs 
Bathurst.  ^ 

"And  now,"  said  Lord  Kilspindie,  when  the  wed- 
ding w^as  at  an  end,  "  we  will  go  to  our  own  place  and 
take  the  cup  with  us." 

So  it  came  about  that  the  Pagan  Cup,  which  was  the 
luck  of  the  Grants,  was  replaced  in  Kilspindie  Castle. 
There  was  a  brave  home-coming  for  the  long-lost  son 
and  his  bride.  And  there  Lord  and  Lady  Morven  lived 
beloved  by  all.  It  was  a  happy  ending  to  Leo's 
troubles. 

After  a  time  Mr  Tempest  found  that  he  could  not 
live  without  his  daughter,  so  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  Kilspindie  Castle  as  a  kind  of  chaplain.  Pearl  was 
already  established  at  the  castle,  and  constituted  her- 
self the  guardian  of  the  cup,  which  in  her  mad  fancy 
she  still  called  the  Holy  Grail.  No  one  tried  to  un- 
deceive her.  But  there  is  no  danger  of  the  cup  being 
lost  again  while  Pearl  looks  after  it.  And  that  is  a 
good  thing  for  the  Grants,  since  their  luck  is  wound 
up  in  its  possession.  "  And  who  would  doubt  the 
truth  of  the  tradition !  "  said  Kilspindie,  "  seeing  that 
three  times  the  legend  has  come  true." 

Raston  succeeded  Mr  Tempest  as  vicar  of  Colester, 
as  i\Irs  Gabriel  rather  approved  of  him.  Thus  it  was 
that  Mrs  Bathurst  came  to  think  herself  entitled  to 
interfere  in  parish  affairs  as  the  mother-in-law  of  the 
vicar.     She  and  Mrs  Gabriel  fought  bitterly,  and  still 


290  The  Pagan's  Cup 

fight  over  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom.  Raston  and 
Peggy  take  no  notice.     They  are  perfectly  happy. 

Pratt  wrote  one  letter  to  Lord  Morven  telling  him 
that  he  was  going  to  lead  a  new  and  decent  life  in 
South  America,  and  asking  the  young  man  not  to 
think  too  badly  of  him.  As  he  gave  no  address,  Leo 
could  not  answer  the  letter,  so  he  burnt  it  and  said 
nothing  abo'it  it  save  to  his  father.  "  There  was  some 
good  in  Pratt,"  said  Lord  Morven. 

"  Well,  yes,"  assented  Kilspindie ;  "  he  was  a  thief, 
a  liar,  and  a  rogue  in  grain.  Nevertheless,  I  believe 
he  had  a  sincere  affection  for  you,  my  dear  boy.  He 
certainly  did  a  kind  act  when  he  restored  to  me  my  son 
and  my  cup — " 

"  And  a  daughter,"  said  Sybil,  who  entered  at  the 
moment. 

"  Who  is  the  light  of  my  eyes,"  said  Morven,  kiss- 
ing her.  "  We  are  happy  now,  father.  After  the 
storm  comes  the  calm." 

"  Therefore,  remember  to  give  thanks,"  said  Mr 
Tempest,  pointing  to  the  cup.  "  I  think  we  can  make 
use  of  the  line  on  that  goblet,"  and  he  read  out  in  Eng- 
lish the  inscription,  "  *  To  the  great  God  who  maketh 
the  heart  joyful.'  The  God  of  Israel,"  said  Mr  Tem- 
pest, solemnly.    "  Amen,  and  Amen." 

THE  END. 


ECCENTRICITIES  OF  GENIUS 

By  Major  J.  B.  Pond. 


READ    ^WKEAX    IS    SAID    OF    IT. 


"  It  is  distinctly  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting books  of  the  year  from  any 
point  of  view." — Rochester  Sunday 
Herald. 

"  It  is  many  a  day  since  I  have  read 
so  fascinating  a  book  of  reminiscences. 
Many  a  day — or  perhaps  I  shoxild 
have  said  a  *  night ' — for  this  voluB>e 
has  given  me  delight  during  hours, 
when,  according  to  the  laws  of  nature, 
I  should  have  been  asleep." — Newell 
Dwight  Hillis. 

"  One  of  the  most  simple,  naive  and 
straightforward  books  ever  written. 
It  fairly  reeks  with  personality.  .  .  . 
No  man  living  has  had  such  interest- 
ing association  with  so  many  inter- 
esting people." — Home  Journal. 

"  Adorned  by  many  pictures,  never 
before  published." — Detroit  Journal. 

*'  Possesses  unparalleled  attrac- 
tions."— Boston  Journal. 

"Major  Pond  goes  deep  into  his 
subject,  furnishing  pen-portraits  that 
are  admirably  clear  and  graphic." — 
The  Mail  and  Express. 

'*  The  whole  book,  stuffed  as  it  is 
with  anecdotes  and  extracts  from 
personal  letters,  is  marvelously  inter- 
esting."— Boston  Transcript. 


"All  the  world  loves  a  teller  cf 
stories,  and  readers  will  sureiy  take 
approvingly  to  the  man  who  gives 
them  so  much  of  entertaining  reading 
as  is  found  in  Major  Pond's  600  pages 
of  bright  personal  description."'^ 
N.  Y.  Times. 

"  Shining  by  reflected  light,  its  pages 
literally  teem  with  interesting  anec- 
dotes of  many  sorts." — Chicago  Everts 
ing  Post. 

"Originality  stamps  the  volume, 
copiously  illustrated  with  portraits." 
—  The  Boston  Globe. 

"  It  has  a  thousand  charms,  and  a 
thousand  points  of  interest.  It  is  full 
of  striking  gems  of  thought,  rare  de- 
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variety,  and  the  distinction  of  those 
alluded  to.  From  a  literary  view  it  is 
as  interesting  as  Disraeli's  famous 
"Curiosities  of  Literature."— /Vi*/*- 
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book." — Philadelphia  Evening  Tele- 
graph. 


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THE  VOYAGE  OF  ITHOBAL 

BT 

SIR  EDWIN  ARNOLD 

Ithobal  was  the  first  African  explorer  we  know 
about.  He  was  a  sea  captain  of  Tyre,  who  rescued 
and  married  an  African  Princess,  and  then  induced 
the  King  of  Egypt  to  put  him  in  charge  of  a  voyage 
of  exploration  of  the  wonderful  land  of  his  wife's 
birth. 

After  a  voyage  of  fifteen  thousand  miles  around 
Africa,  he  returns  after  numerous  and  exciting  ad- 
ventures, which  bring  out  almost  every  feature  of 
African  life  and  scenery.  Ithobal  relates  the  story 
of  his  enterprise  in  a  discourse  of  seven  days  before 
the  throne  of  Pharaoh,  who  crowns  him  with  honors. 

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"Properly    ranks    with    'Eben   Holden,'    'David    Harum,'    and 

'Quincy  Adams  Sawyer.'  The  four  may  be  put  in  a  class  by 
themselves  as  distinctive  types  of  homespun  Americans." — 
The  North  American. 

"Worthy  to  live  with  'David  Harum"  and  'Eben  Holden.' " — 
Publishers'  Weekly.    i2mo,  illustrated,  cloth  bound.        $1.50 

MDER  A  LUCKY  STAE,  a  New  Book  on  Astrology. 
By  Charlotte  Abell  Walker.  Telis  what  occupation  to  adopt, 
and  what  line  of  life  to  follow,  what  associates  and  partners 
to  choose,  how  to  recognize  the  possibilities  and  limitations 
of  our  friends  and  ourselves,  and  of  other  important  matters 
to  human  life,  including  suggestions  on  marriage,  being  mainly 
culled  from  the  minds  of  ancient  and  modern  philosophers. 
Illustrated,  cloth  bound $1.50 

THE  WAY  or  A  MAN  "WITH  A  MAID. 

By  Frances  Gorden  Fane.  A  clever,  well-written  story,  full 
of  love  and  pathos,  and  thrilling  with  dramatic  crises.  Each 
step  of  the  domestic  tragedy  is  skilfully  portrayed,  until  the 
final  climax  is  reached. 
"Its  author  has  made  it  a  powerful,  telling  story  to  read." — 
N.  y.  World. 
Cloth     bound »       .       .       $1.50 

THE  OEOSSEOADS  OP  DESTINY,  a  Story  of  Chivaby  in  the  Pif- 

teenth  Century. 
By  John  P.  Ritter.  Author  of  "The  Man  Who  Dared."  This, 
is  a  wonderfully  interesting  story,  and  will  find  a  welcome 
with  all  who  love  to  read  of  deeds  of  chivalry. 
"It  is  a  clean,  clear  and  clever  story  of  chivalry  at  its  beat, 
and  will  find  a  great  many  well-pleased  readers." — New  York 
Wftrld.   Cloth  bound,   illustrated.       ....       I1.35 


A  OHEftUE  FOR  THREE  THOITSAin). 

Bj  Arthur  Henry  Veysey.  (Tenth  edition.)  It's  a  jolly  g'»0d 
story,  bright  and  clear.  Dramatic,  full  of  life  and  action  and 
a  brilliant  farce  from  end  to  end.  You  cannot  put  it  down 
until  you  finish  it,  and  you  will  mention  it  many  a  time  when 
you  want  to  relate  something  novel  and  odd  among  your 
friends.       Attractively    bound    in  cloth.  .  ,  i.oa 

A  PEDIGREE  IN  PAWN. 

By  Arthur  Hexry  Veysey.  Author  of  "A  Cheque  for  Three 
Thousand,"  which  has  run  into  its  seventh  edition.  Original, 
bright,  sparkling  fun  runs  all  through  "  A  Pedigree  in  Pawn." 
It  will  be  talked  about  and  laughed  over  more  than  any  other 
book  of  the  year.  Illustrated  with  14  character  drawings. 
Cloth  bound. 1.25 

EATS  OFF. 

By  Arthur  Henry  Veysey.  Author  of  "  A  Cheque  for  Threa 
Thousand,"  etc.  A  splendid  story  for  summer  reading.  Are 
you  tired,  blue  ?  Read  Hats  Off  !  Do  you  want  a  story 
for  the  hammock  ?  Read  Hats  Off  !  Do  you  want  a  story 
with  "  go,"  with  an  original  plot?  Read  Hats  Off  I  Do  you 
want  to  laugh?    Read  Hats  Off!     Cloth  bound.        .        1.25 

Paper  covers.        .  50 

THE  STATEROOM  OPPOSITE. 

By  Arthur  Henry  Veysey.  Author  of  "A  Cheque  for  Three 
Thousand,"  etc.  Is  a  well  balanced  detective  story.  It  is 
not  overdrawn  as  such  books  usually  are,  but  full  of  mysterious 
and  vital  interest.  It  is  a  departure  from  Mr.  Veysey's  previous 
humorous  style  in  "  A  Cheque  for  Three  Thousand,"  and  "  A 
Pedign'ee  in  Pawn,"  proving  him  to  be  a  remarkably  versatile 
writer.  Most  of  the  events  take  place  on  shipboard.  It  is  a 
powerful  story,  with  a  most  dramatic  climax,  and  inimitably 
original  characters.       Cloth  bound.  .  .  .  1.25 

Paper  covers.  ...  50 

CLEO  THE  MAGNIFICENT;  or,  The  Muse  of  tie  Real. 

By  Louis  Zangwill.  The  Boston  Times  says :  "  The  story  is 
drawn  with  a  master  hand  and  the  characters  stand  forth  in 
clear  relief.  It  is  in  every  way  worthy  of  Mr.  Zangwill's 
reputation."  One  of  the  best  novels  of  the  year.  Qoth 
bound.         ........         1.5Q 


THE  MAID  OF  BOOASSE. 

By  May  Halsey  Miller.  Author  of  "Raoul  and  Iron  Hand." 
This  is  a  delightful  fourteenth-century  romance.  The 
Maid  of  Bocasse  was  the  orphan  daughter  of  a  rich  count, 
■who  dwelt  in  the  Kingdom  of  Navarre.  A  Gascon  knight 
made  a  daring  attempt  to  win  the  fair  chatelaine  and  her 
estates,  and  the  entire  story  is  one  of  struggle,  heroism, 
love,  and  passion.  It  is  a  romance  of  strength  and  power. 
Cloth  bound,  illustrated,  .  .  .  $1.50 

WIDOW  MAGOOGIN. 

By  John  J.  Jennings.  The  inimitable  widow's  philosophy 
on  the  topics  of  the  day,  spoken  in  her  own  dialect,  is  won- 
derfully funny.  As  a  critic,  the  "Irish  widow"  touches  upon 
the  foibles  of  fads  and  fashions  with  masterly  sarcasm,  and 
Mr.  Jennings,  in  his  art,  has  characterized  her  with  skilful 
touches  true  to  Nature.    Cloth  bound,     .  .  $1.25 

THE  SONG  OF  THE  SWORD,   A  Eomance  of 
1796. 

By  Leo  Ditrichstein.  This  author  needs  no  introduction  to 
the  public.  In  this  thrilling  story  he  displays  a  perfect 
wealth  of  plots  and  critical  situations.  It  is  an  excellent 
-work,  fine  and  subtle,  with  many  exciting  scenes.  A 
spirit  of  chivalrous  romance  exudes  from  each  chapter. 
There  is,  in  fact,  an  odor  of  romance  all  about  it.  The 
work  spent  on  the  central  figures  is  splendid,  and  the 
entire  book  satisfies  the  demand  for  combined  entertain- 
ment and  interest  in  a  historical  novel.  Cloth  bound,  illus- 
trated, .  .  .  .  .  .  $1.50 

FATHER  ANTHONY. 

By  Robert  Buchanan.  "One  of  the  most  touching  and  dra- 
matic stories  ever  written  in  connection  with  Irish  life. 
It  is  a  heart-stirring  story;  and  it  is  the  more  attractive 
because  Mr.  Buchanan  writes  of  Irish  life  from  personal 
knowledge,  and  describes  places  and  people  with  which,  and 
with  whom,  he  has  had  a  long  familiarity.  Father  John  is  a 
typical  Irish  character.  Mr.  Buchanan  has  never  con- 
ceived a  more  finely-drawn  character  than  Father  Anthony. 
The  book  can  be  heartily  commended  to  all  classes  of 
readers." — London  Weekly  Swn.  Ten  editions  have  been 
sold  in  London.    Cloth  bound,        .  «  «  |i-50 


University  of  Califoraia  Library 
Los  Angeles 


This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 


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MAY  17  1995 
DUE  2  WKS  FROM  DATE 


L  007  120  453  T 


